Most of us don't think highly of the common cold. Especially some young people who even reject to buy medicine for colds, think that they will be fine after drinking more hot water and taking more rest. Only when they find that the situation is getting more serious and uncontrollable, they may go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine, without even considering going to the hospital for examination.

Then, when they had to go to the hospital, the doctor asked to check the ECG first, why? This is because a number of colds are mainly caused by various bacteria and viruses. The coxsackievirus and echovirus, which can cause colds, will infect and damage the cardioc muscle.

Heart Inflammation: Viral Myocarditis

If the cold is not effectively treated in time, the virus may break through the protective barrier of the heart and cause viral myocarditis. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that will weaken your heart because it decreases the ability of the heart to pump blood normally.

A common cold can usually be cured within a week, but if you experience panic, weakness, chest tightness and other serious symptoms, you should be alert to the possibility of myocarditis, and an electrocardiogram is essential at this time.

Myocarditis is often caused by a common viral infection or an immune response to a viral infection.

Symptoms of Myocarditis

The clinical manifestation of myocarditis varies by the extensiveness and severity of the lesion. A few may be completely asymptomatic, while milder cases may present with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, cough, and diarrhea, and severe cases may present with severe arrhythmias, heart failure, cardiogenic shock.

Thus, it is less likely to rely on clinical symptoms alone to diagnose myocarditis. Infection in young people is more likely to lead to severe clinical symptoms and even death due to strong immunity, good health, and overreaction.

Viral myocarditis is easily triggered or aggravated if a person is still working under high stress, overworking, engaging in heavy physical labor or strenuous exercise, or drinking alcohol after infection.

Therefore, it is important to be vigilant enough to identify severe myocarditis early after a general cold, so as to gain more time for treatment.

Patients need to go to the hospital in time to check the ECG, cardiac enzyme test, etc. before they can determine whether myocarditis is present.

Tests to diagnose myocarditis might include:

1. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This quick and painless test shows your heart's electrical patterns and can detect abnormal heartbeats.
2. Chest X-ray.
3. Heart MRI (Cardiac MRI ).
4. Echocardiogram.
5. Blood tests.
6. Cardiac catheterization and heart muscle biopsy.

The ECG fingdings in Myocarditis:

1. sinus arrhythmias. About 10%-30% of patients have sinus tachycardia, and a few patients also have sinus arrest and sinus block.
2. Conduction disorders often occur in myocarditis, with a relatively high incidence of atrioventricular block (AV) and intraventricular block.
3. Low voltage QRS and abnormal Q waves are mostly seen in patients with severe myocarditis.

In the acute phase, patients should rest in bed, do not increase the burden on the heart, and gradually increase their activities only after the symptoms and signs have improved and the ECG is normal.

Patients with myocarditis should pay attention to a nutritious, easy-to-digest diet, avoid emotional excitement, take more rest, and give symptomatic treatment with myocardial nutrient drugs if necessary.

To prevent myocarditis, you can do the following.

1. Allowing enough time to take a rest

Try to get more rest after a cold, do not stay up late, keep a balance of work and rest, and try to reduce the working hours and intensity.

When you feel physically exhausted, take a break immediately, and when the symptoms are serious, you should go to the hospital for examination.

In addition, do not go to the gym, go swimming, running and other strenuous sports.

2. Timely get a medical treatment and monitor your heart with 24-hour ECG recorder

If you have dizziness, general weakness, chest pain, etc. after a cold, you should go to the nearest hospital in time for a checkup. Also pay attention to your ECG changes at home.

You can check the electrocardiogram to see if there are premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), atrioventricular block, myocardial damage, and if there are abnormalities. Also, you can draw blood to check if there is an increase in cardiac enzymes.

Monitor the body temperature, respiration and pulse rate every day, and give physical cooling measures, oral care and skincare to people with a high fever.

3. Being in a nutritional balance

Pay attention to a balanced diet: drink more hot water, eat more food high in vitamins, calories and proteins. In particular, eat some food rich in vitamins, such as tomatoes, hawthorn or apples, etc.

In addition, eat some foods rich in amino acids such as lean meat, eggs, fish, soybeans, etc., which are helpful to the autoimmune system.

4. Exercising appropriately

Before getting well from the cold, pay attention to the intensity of activities. Do not do strenuous exercise so to avoid increasing the burden on the heart, aggravating the condition, and triggering myocarditis.