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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffEndocarditis may develop slowly or suddenly — depending on what's causing the infection and whether you have any underlying heart problems. The infection can infect different people differently, so signs and symptoms vary. They may include:
- Fever
- Chills
- A new or changed heart murmur — abnormal heart sounds made by blood rushing through your heart
- Fatigue
- Aching joints and muscles
- Night sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Paleness
- Persistent cough
- Swelling in your feet, legs or abdomen
- Unexplained weight loss
- Blood in your urine (either visible or found in a doctor's viewing of your urine under a microscope)
- Tenderness in your spleen — an infection-fighting abdominal organ on your left side, just below your rib cage
- Osler's nodes — red, tender spots under the skin of your fingers
- Petechiae (puh-TEE-key-e) — tiny purple or red spots on the skin, whites of your eyes or inside your mouth
When to see a doctor
If you develop signs or symptoms of endocarditis, see your doctor right away — especially if you have risk factors for this serious infection, such as a heart defect or a previous case of endocarditis.
Although less serious conditions can cause similar signs and symptoms, you won't know for sure until you're evaluated.
References
- Infective endocarditis. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/TheImpactofCongenitalHeartDefects/Infective-Endocarditis_UCM_307108_Article.jsp. Accessed June 6, 2011.
- Endocarditis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/endo/endo_all.html. Accessed June 19, 2009.
- Sexton DJ. Diagnostic approach to infective endocarditis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 2, 2011.
- Sexton DJ. Epidemiology, risk factors and microbiology of infective endocarditis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 2, 2011.
- Spelman D, et al. Complications and outcome of infective endocarditis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 2, 2011.
- Sexton DJ. Antimicrobial therapy of native valve endocarditis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 2, 2011.
- Schick EC. Surgery for native valve endocarditis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 2, 2011.
- Delahaye F. Is early surgery beneficial in infective endocarditis? A systematic review. Archives of Cardiovascular Disease. 2011:104:35.
- Burton MJ, et al. Infective endocarditis prevention: Update on 2007 guidelines. The American Journal of Medicine. 2007;11:484.
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