Symptoms are different and individual for each patient with myocarditis. Most of the first symptoms are preceded by previous infectious disease, mostly of the respiratory system or alimentary canal. Symptoms, which are observed by patient, are mostly “flu-like” symptoms. They can have even unusually quick onset:

• Nausea, lack of appetite
• Vomiting
• Paleness and sweeting
• Fever or running temperature
• Muscles and joints pain (myalgia and arthralgia)
• Fatigue
• Rash
• Swellings around ankles, swellings of gaskin

These symptoms are mostly accompanied with shortness of breath (dyspnoea), which can be associated with position, and which can be accompanied with vertigo. Mostly, breathing is worsen by chest pain. Half of patients has also experience of palpitation or irregular heart rhythm. A third of patients also complain of chest pain, specifically behind the sternum and nearby. The chest pain is sharp, spiked, stinging and creasy (my personal experience – imagine  that something is compressing your lungs and makes your breathing worse and simultaneously it is pressing your heart and digging nails in it). The symptoms, including the chest pain, may – but may not – resemble a heart attack.

Author of the opening picture: Patrick J. Lynch