What happens if an infection goes to your heart?

What happens if an infection goes to your heart?

Endocarditis is usually caused by an infection. Bacteria, fungi or other germs from another part of your body, such as your mouth, spread through your bloodstream and attach to damaged areas in your heart. If it’s not treated quickly, endocarditis can damage or destroy your heart valves.

What infections can affect the heart?

There are two primary heart infections caused by viruses: pericarditis and myocarditis. (Endocarditis is a third type of infection that affects the inner lining of your heart, but it’s almost always caused by bacteria, not viruses.) Pericarditis affects the pericardium, the membrane that surrounds your heart.

What bacteria causes heartattack?

These are staphylococci (staph) and streptococci (strep). You may be at increased risk for bacterial endocarditis if you have certain heart valve defects. This gives the bacteria an easier place to take hold and grow. It’s rare for a person with a normal heart to get endocarditis.

Can endocarditis be cured?

In many cases of endocarditis, antibiotics alone can cure the infection. However, in about 25-30 percent of patients with IE, surgery is needed during the early acute phase of infection due to severe valve leakage or failure to control the infection with antibiotics.

How long does it take to recover from endocarditis?

Endocarditis is treated with long-term courses of intravenous antibiotics or antifungals. Each course can last as long as six weeks. If you are taking medication, check with your doctor and dentist before you have dental work.

Is endocarditis always fatal?

Untreated endocarditis is always fatal, but with early treatment, involving an aggressive use of antibiotics, most patients survive. However, it can still be fatal in older people, patients with an underlying condition, and those whose infection involves a resistant type of bacteria.

Does endocarditis shorten life?

Conclusions: Long term survival following infective endocarditis is 50% after 10 years and is predicted by early surgical treatment, age < 55 years, lack of congestive heart failure, and the initial presence of more symptoms of endocarditis.

Does endocarditis require surgery?

Can you live a normal life after endocarditis?

You will need a follow up with blood tests and echocardiogram after you complete the treatment to make sure that the infection has cleared from your bloodstream and to check your heart valves. After the infection clears and if the echocardiogram shows good results, you may go back to your normal life.

How long do you live with endocarditis?

What are the types of heart infections?

Types of Heart Infections. Several of the most common types of heart infections include endocarditis, which is an infection of the lining of the heart, or of heart valves inside the heart. In most cases, endocarditis is caused by bacteria. Another heart infection, called pericarditis, is an infection of the sac that surrounds and cushions the heart,…

What is the prognosis for heart attack?

Most of the deaths from heart attacks are caused by ventricular fibrillation of the heart that occurs before the victim of the heart attack can reach an emergency room. Those who reach the emergency room have an excellent prognosis; survival from a heart attack with modern treatment should exceed 90%.