What is Endocarditis and what are its symptoms? Endocarditis is a heart infection which affects the endocardium. Endocardium makes up the inner lining of heart valves and chambers. This condition occurs when bacteria or fungi travel from other parts of your body through the bloodstream and become attached to damaged heart valves or other parts of the heart. If Endocarditis is left untreated, it can turn into a life-threatening condition. Its signs and symptoms can vary significantly from one person to another, depending on what caused the infection and if the patient has any other pre-existing condition. The symptoms usually include:
- Joint and muscle pain
- Chest pain and shortness of breath
- Tenderness in the spleen (uncommon symptom)
- Swollen feet, legs or ankles
- Fever and chills
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Unexplained weight loss (rarely)
What are the causes of Endocarditis? Endocarditis is caused when bacteria/fungi from different parts of the body enter the bloodstream and spread across the endocardium, making it inflamed and damaging the heart valves. The causes of bacteria/fungi entering the bloodstream might include:
- Bleeding gums, which allow bacteria to flow in the bloodstream. It can be caused by unhealthy oral activities
- Any bacterial or fungal infection, such as a sexually transmitted infection, gum disease and skin sore.
- Contaminated needles and catheters
What are the complications of Endocarditis? The bacteria can form lumps in the heart, known as vegetation. These lumps can break away and find their way to other major organs. Hence, it can cause several serious complications such as:
- Stroke
- Paralysis
- Kidney damage
- Heart valve damage
- Heart failure
- Pulmonary embolism
- Enlargement of spleen
How is Endocarditis diagnosed? In order to diagnose Endocarditis, your General Physician will make use of a combination of tests and procedures. Your medical history, symptoms and problems you’ve had recently will be closely examined. Furthermore, the following tests might be used for proper diagnosis:
- Physical examination
- Blood test
- Chest X-ray
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Computerized Tomography Scan (CT Scan)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Why choose Credihealth for heart treatment in Hyderabad? Credihealth is an online healthcare portal for all your hospital appointment bookings, diagnostic test bookings, for ordering medications, or homecare services. Credihealth has an extensive list of hospitals and nephrologists who focus primarily on woman care. View our heart treatment in Hyderabad listing, which consists of details like doctor fees, years of experience, areas of expertise, doctor timings, qualifications, and much more. If you have any inquiries, our inhouse medical experts can help solve them and guide you towards the right doctor.
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