What is infective endocarditis?
Infective endocarditis is a disease of the heart. It can do great damage to the heart. When the heart is damaged, the rest of the body suffers. It is crucial for everyone to learn the signs and symptoms of the various types of heart disease as well a maintaining a healthy diet and a regular system of exercise. Most people only think of the last two when thinking of keeping their heart healthy. But knowing about the different diseases that trouble the heart is a third way of preventing damage now that can really hurt you later on down the road.
How does infective endocarditis occur?
Endocarditis occurs when bacteria and other microorganisms enter your bloodstream. These can then attach themselves to your heart, doing great damage. It is not usual for microorganisms to flow through your bloodstream. You often have them in other places, such as your mouth and urinary tract, but rarely in the bloodstream. It is possible to get them in your bloodstream and not suffer any harm from them.
What happens when the microorganisms attach themselves to my heart?
If the microorganisms are allowed to grow and fester, great damage can happen to your heart, such as irregular heartbeat, blood clot, heart attack, stroke, and death. The way that infective endocarditis occurs is that your body sends immune cells and platelets to attack the microorganisms. Sometimes they effectively fight it away, but sometimes the microorganisms become trapped under the protective cells and platelets. This is the cause of infective endocarditis.
What’s the difference between chronic endocarditis and acute endocarditis?
Chronic endocarditis is endocarditis that the sufferer has had for a long time. Acute endocarditis is endocarditis that has recently occurred.
What happens when the microorganisms get trapped under the immune cells and platelets, causing infective endocarditis?
Then, more matter forms, dangerous matter that doctors call vegetation. This vegetation, once in the bloodstream, blocks the healthy blood from reaching the places that it needs to reach. When blood is slowed or blocked, blood clots, hemorrhaging, and other terrible things occur.
What are the symptoms of infective endocarditis?
The symptoms of infective endocarditis are flue-like symptoms such as fever, rash, chills, cold sweats, etc., and heart disease-like symptoms such as chest pain and numbness and irregular heartbeat. Other symptoms include red spots on the hands and feet and red, festering sores on the fingertips.
What do I do if I have symptoms of infective endocarditis?
The best thing to do is to see your doctor right away. Your doctor can take blood samples to determine if your blood has been infected by bacteria and other microorganisms, and perform other tests. Certain spots in the eyes sometimes are telltale signs of infective endocarditis. Working with your doctor, you can take the proper medications and procedures to save your heart from further damage.
Who is most likely in danger from suffering from infective endocarditis?
People born with heart damage, people who suffered heart damage in their childhood, people suffering from recent heart damage or from heart surgery such as a valve replacement are all in special danger of suffering from infective endocarditis. If you fit into any of those types, it is good to schedule regular checkups with your doctor in order to ensure that your heart is free of other damaging elements, and, if they’re there, to treat them.