Heart Inflammation Symptoms
If you have chest pain or severe shortness of breath, or your symptoms get worse, call 9-1-1 or seek medical help right away.
The symptoms of heart inflammation can happen suddenly or progress slowly. You may have severe symptoms or almost no symptoms.
Some of the symptoms may feel like the flu, and most often, myocarditis and pericarditis go away on their own after a few weeks. However, for some symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath, it can be hard to tell whether they will go away on their own, or if they are caused by a heart attack or other serious health problem.
If a virus causes your heart inflammation, you may have a cough, runny nose, or gastrointestinal (stomach or intestinal) symptoms a few weeks before you notice any symptoms of heart inflammation.
Endocarditis symptoms
- Fever and chills
- New or worsening heart murmur
- Blood in urine
- Spleen that is larger than normal
- Stomach pain
- Chest pain
- Cough, with or without the presence of blood
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Muscle, joint, and back pain
- Night sweats
- Pain at the spot of a cardiac device, such as a pacemaker, which may mean it is infected
- Shortness of breath
- Skin changes, which may be tiny reddish-purple spots from broken blood vessels, red or purple bumps, or flat red spots on your palms or the soles of your feet
Myocarditis symptoms
- Chest pain and discomfort
- Heart palpitations, or the feeling of a racing or pounding heart
- Fainting
- Shortness of breath
- Extreme tiredness
- Stomach pain
- Exercise intolerance, or no longer being able to exercise
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling of feet or legs
- Weakness
Pericarditis symptoms
- Chest pain that feels sharp, gets worse with breathing, and feels better with sitting up and leaning forward
- Fast heartbeat
- Fever
- Shortness of breath