Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Myocarditis

September 15, 2015 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have a chronic fear of developing myocarditis and dying, and I have a few questions in hopes of finding some relief.

I am currently suffering from a cold with the following symptoms (I assume it is not the flu as I did not have a fever):

Friday: Itchy palate in the evening
Saturday: Sore throat, fatigue, maximum temperature of 37.5°C
Sunday: Sore throat, nasal congestion in the evening (37.3°C)
Monday: Nasal congestion (37.1°C)
Tuesday: Nasal congestion, occasional dry cough in the evening, slight sore throat (37.0°C)

I have been taking it easy, but I have still been walking around 10,000 steps a day due to activities like shopping (no sports). However, on Monday, I attended one of my acting classes (which lasts for 2 hours) where we had to walk normally for 30 minutes and briskly for 2 minutes, and I unfortunately did not think about it and participated.

Tomorrow, I plan to attend another acting class where there will not be much physical activity. I am wondering if it is okay to do normal daily activities during a cold if you do not have a fever, such as walking around, shopping, attending an acting class, without doing sports? Or will it immediately affect the heart?

I am terrified that the 2-3 minutes of brisk walking (and the class) may have already caused damage. When would symptoms show up? I already have heart palpitations, so I might overlook the symptoms.

What does it take to trigger myocarditis?

In the upcoming days, I only have my class in the morning with a 60-minute commute and a 2-hour class, mostly sitting. And on Friday, I have a presentation at the university, and on Saturday, I am flying home for a few days. Is this concerning? Of course, if I had a fever, I would stay home immediately.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Good evening,

You should definitely fight your fear professionally!

Myocarditis is extremely rare and usually only occurs in cases of severe physical exertion (construction workers, football players) in the context of a febrile infection. Your daily stresses are experienced by millions of mothers, self-employed individuals, and others who have caught a cold. These do not strain the heart.

Myocarditis is noticeable by severe shortness of breath during exertion and water retention in the legs. Heart palpitations are rarely noticed.

Your plans for the next few days are absolutely safe, including the flight.

Best regards, Dr. Höllering