Myocarditis, COVID and Covid Vaccines - Pfizer & Moderna VaccinesMyocarditis is heart inflammation, but to be more specific, it’s inflammation of the heart muscle.

Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium (outer lining of the heart). Myocarditis and pericarditis often occur together, hence the term myopericarditis. How often is it caused by COVID? How often is it caused by the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna? What are the symptoms of heart inflammation? How is it diagnosed? These are unpacked in this video.

Myocarditis is an interesting diagnosis because it can present in a variety of ways. Not just in terms of various signs and symptoms, but a variety of non-specific labs in the bloodwork. Non-specific EKG findings. Non-specific echocardiogram findings, meaning ultrasound of the heart. Also, most people with this diagnosis have zero or mild symptoms.

On the flip side, it can RARELY present with sudden cardiac arrest. And even if you can make the diagnosis, it’s usually even TRICKIER to determine the cause.

Disease severity can range from unnoticeable to mild symptoms, severe illness requiring the ICU to death. More often than not, it’s a mild, temporary issue. When there is more heart inflammation, the heart has a harder time pumping blood, leading to heart failure in more serious cases.

What are the Symptoms? The highest risk population for myocarditis is from puberty to the early 30s. It affects males more often than females. There are no specific symptoms associated with myocarditis, but common symptoms include: • Chest pain or pressure• Shortness of breath• Fatigue• Swelling in the hands and feet• Heart palpitations • Lightheadedness• A sudden loss of consciousness

How does COVID affect the heart?Even though COVID is a respiratory virus, it can affect the heart in several ways. First, when COVID causes pneumonia, it can damage the lungs, decreasing the amount of oxygen that gets to the heart and making it harder to pump blood to the body. This is known as demand ischemia. Second, the inflammatory response from the immune system to fight the virus is sometimes excessive. The cytokine storm that you hear about, it’s a cascade of cytokines and chemokines of the immune system that can ultimately damage organs in the body. Basically, it's collateral damage. The damage from this inflammatory response is known to especially affect the kidneys, brain, and heart. And that’s when you have myocarditis.