Worried about heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccines? Here’s what we know – CBC

Myocarditis is rare, usually mild and treatable, experts say

Jun 04, 2021

hat causes myocarditis?
“It’s not something that is super common,” said Dr. Carolyn Quach-Thanh, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal.

When myocarditis occurs, it’s often after various types of viral infection, from the common cold to gastrointestinal illness. The virus triggers inflammation of the heart as part of the body’s immune response.

Often, myocarditis is not serious and goes away on its own after the infection.

Not much can be done, in many cases. “You have to wait it out,” Quach-Thanh said.

In the rare cases that the inflammation affects the heart’s ability to pump blood, treatments can include anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/myocarditis-heart-inflammation-covid-vaccine-1.6053963