Treatment:

Treatment is aimed at the cause of the problem, and may involve:

• Antibiotics
• Anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce swelling
• Diuretics to remove excess water from the body
• Low-salt diet
• Reduced activity

If the heart muscle is very weak, your health care provider will prescribe medicines to treat heart failure. Abnormal heart rhythms may require the use of additional medications, a pacemaker, or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. If a blood clot is in the heart chamber, you will also receive blood thinning medicine.

Expectations (prognosis):

How well you do depends on the cause of the problem and your overall health. The outlook varies. Some people may recover completely. Others may have permanent heart failure.

Complications:

• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Pericarditis

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of myocarditis, especially after a recent infection.

Seek immediate medical help if you have severe symptoms or have been diagnosed with myocarditis and have increased:

• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling