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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThe signs and symptoms of myocarditis vary, depending on the cause and the severity of the disease. The most common signs and symptoms include:
- Chest pain that may feel like a heart attack or angina
- A rapid or abnormal heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Shortness of breath, at rest or during physical activity
- Fluid retention with swelling of your legs, ankles and feet
- Fatigue
Less-common signs and symptoms include:
- Fainting or a sudden loss of consciousness
- Other symptoms you'd have with a viral infection, such as a headache, body aches, joint pain, fever, a sore throat or diarrhea
Sometimes, people with myocarditis will also develop pericarditis, which is an inflammation of the membrane covering the heart (pericardium). Pericarditis may cause sharp pains over the center of your chest.
In mild cases, myocarditis may have no noticeable symptoms. You may feel ill and have general symptoms of a viral infection and never realize your heart is affected. Some people may never seek medical care and may recover without ever knowing they had myocarditis.
Myocarditis in children
When children develop myocarditis, they may experience these signs and symptoms:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Breathing difficulties
- Bluish or grayish discoloration of the skin
