Is myocarditis acute or chronic?

Myocarditis can be acute or chronic, depending on the development and duration of the inflammation.

Acute myocarditis refers to a sudden inflammatory reaction in the heart muscle, and obvious symptoms appear in a relatively short period of time. Acute myocarditis is usually caused by infection, such as influenza, herpes virus infection, or bacterial infection. After infection, the inflammatory reaction may lead to myocardial dysfunction, arrhythmia, chest pain, fatigue, breathing difficulties, etc. If treated promptly, most patients can recover completely. Chronic myocarditis refers to the persistent or repeated occurrence of myocardial inflammatory reaction for a long time, which may be the result of incomplete cure or repeated attacks of acute myocarditis. The symptoms of patients may be mild, but long-term inflammation can cause damage to myocardium, leading to chronic complications such as cardiac hypofunction and arrhythmia.