Endocarditis: Risk Factors, Symptoms, and Diagnosis

Endocarditis is inflammation of your heart's inner lining, called the endocardium. It's usually caused by bacteria. When the inflammation is caused by ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectSubscribeEndocarditisMedicallyreviewedbyStacySampson,D.O.—WrittenbyAprilKahn—UpdatedonSeptember17,2018SymptomsCausesRiskfactorsDiagnosisTreatmentsComplicationsPreventionWhatisendocarditis?Endocarditisisinflammationofyourheart’sinnerlining,calledtheendocardium.It’susuallycausedbybacteria.Whentheinflammationiscausedbyinfection,theconditioniscalledinfectiveendocarditis.Endocarditisisuncommoninpeoplewithhealthyhearts.Whatarethesymptomsofendocarditis?Thesymptomsofendocarditisaren’talwayssevere,andtheymaydevelopslowlyovertime.Intheearlystagesofendocarditis,thesymptomsaresimilartomanyotherillnesses.Thisiswhymanycasesgoundiagnosed.Manyofthesymptomsaresimilartocasesofthefluorotherinfections,suchaspneumonia.However,somepeopleexperienceseveresymptomsthatappearsuddenly.Thesesymptomsmaybeduetoinflammationortheassociateddamageitcauses.Commonsymptomsofendocarditisinclude:heartmurmur,whichisanabnormalheartsoundofturbulentbloodflowthroughtheheartpaleskinfeverorchillsnightsweatsmuscleorjointpainnauseaordecreasedappetiteafullfeelingintheupperleftpartofyourabdomenunintentionalweightlossswollenfeet,legs,orabdomencoughorshortnessofbreathLesscommonsymptomsofendocarditisinclude:bloodinyoururineweightlossanenlargedspleen,whichmaybetendertotouchChangesintheskinmayalsooccur,including:tenderredorpurplespotsbelowtheskinoffingersortoestinyredorpurplespotsfrombloodcellsthatleakedoutofrupturedcapillaryvessels,whichusuallyappearonthewhitesoftheeyes,insidethecheeks,ontheroofofthemouth,oronthechestThesignsandsymptomsofinfectiousendocarditisvarygreatlyfrompersontoperson.Theycanchangeovertime,andtheydependonthecauseofyourinfection,hearthealth,andhowlongtheinfectionhasbeenpresent.Ifyouhaveahistoryofheartproblems,heartsurgery,orpriorendocarditis,youshouldcontactyourdoctorimmediatelyifyouhaveanyofthesesymptoms.It’sespeciallyimportanttocontactyourdoctorifyouhaveaconstantfeverthatwillnotbreakoryou’reunusuallytiredanddon’tknowwhy.Whatarethecausesofendocarditis?Themaincauseofendocarditisisanovergrowthofbacteria.Althoughthesebacterianormallyliveontheinsideoroutsidesurfacesofyourbody,youmightbringtheminsidetoyourbloodstreambyeatingordrinking.Bacteriacouldalsoenterthroughcutsinyourskinororalcavity.Yourimmunesystemnormallyfightsoffgermsbeforetheycauseaproblem,butthisprocessfailsinsomepeople.Inthecaseofinfectiveendocarditis,thegermstravelthroughyourbloodstreamandintoyourheart,wheretheymultiplyandcauseinflammation.Endocarditiscanalsobecausedbyfungiorothergerms.Eatinganddrinkingaren’ttheonlywaysthatgermscanenteryourbody.Theycanalsogetintoyourbloodstreamthrough:brushingyourteethhavingpoororalhygieneorgumdiseasehavingadentalprocedurethatcutsyourgumscontractingasexuallytransmitteddiseaseusingacontaminatedneedlethroughanindwellingurinarycatheterorintravenouscatheterRiskfactorsforendocarditisRiskfactorsfordevelopingendocarditisincludethefollowing:injectingillicitintravenousdrugswithaneedlecontaminatedwithbacteriaorfungiscarringcausedbyheartvalvedamage,whichallowsbacteriaorgermstogrowtissuedamagefromhavingendocarditisinthepasthavingaheartdefecthavinganartificialheartvalvereplacementHowisendocarditisdiagnosed?Yourdoctorwillgooveryoursymptomsandmedicalhistorybeforeconductinganytests.Afterthisreview,they’lluseastethoscopetolistentoyourheart.Thefollowingtestsmayalsobedone:BloodtestIfyourdoctorsuspectsyouhaveendocarditis,abloodculturetestwillbeorderedtoconfirmwhetherbacteria,fungi,orothermicroorganismsarecausingit.Otherbloodtestscanalsorevealifyoursymptomsarecausedbyanothercondition,suchasanemia.TransthoracicechocardiogramAtransthoracicechocardiogramisanon-radiatingimagingtestusedtoviewyourheartanditsvalves.Thistestusesultrasoundwavestocreateanimageofyourheart,withtheimagingprobeplacedonthefrontofyourchest.Yourdoctorcanusethisimagingtesttolookforsignsofdamageorabnormalmovementsofyourheart.TransesophagealechocardiogramWhenatransthoracicechocardiogramdoesn’tprovideenoughinformationtoassessyourheartaccurately,yourdoctormightorderanadditionalimagingtestcalledatransesophagealechocardiogram.Thisisusedtoviewyourheartbywayofyouresophagus.ElectrocardiogramAnelectrocardiogram(ECGorEKG)mayberequestedtogetabetterviewofyourheart’selectricalactivity.Thistestcandetectanabnormalheartrhythmorrate.Atechnicianwillattach12to15softelectrodestoyourskin.Theseelectrodesareattachedtoelectricalleads(wires),whicharethenattachedtotheEKGmachine.ChestX-rayAcollapsedlungorotherlungproblemscancausesomeofthesamesymptomsasendocarditis.AchestX-raymaybeusedtoviewyourlungsandseeifthey’vecollapsedoriffluidhasbuiltupinthem.Abuildupoffluidiscalledpulmonaryedema.TheX-raycanhelpyourdoctortellthedifferencebetweenendocarditisandotherconditionsinvolvingwithyourlungs.Howisendocarditistreated?AntibioticsIfyourendocarditisiscausedbybacteria,itwillbetreatedwithintravenousantibiotictherapy.Yourdoctorwilladviseyoutotakeantibioticsuntilyourinfectionandrelatedinflammationareeffectivelytreated.Youwilllikelyreceivetheseinahospitalforatleastaweek,untilyoushowsignsofimprovement.Youwillneedtocontinueantibiotictherapyupondischargefromthehospital.Youmaybeabletotransitiontooralantibioticslaterinyourtreatment.Antibiotictherapytypicallytakesuptosixweekstocomplete.SurgeryProlongedinfectiveendocarditisordamagedheartvalvescausedbyendocarditismayrequiresurgerytocorrect.Surgerymaybedonetoremoveanydeadtissue,scartissue,fluidbuildup,ordebrisfrominfectedtissue.Surgerymayalsobedonetorepairorremoveyourdamagedheartvalve,andreplaceitwitheitherman-madematerialoranimaltissue.Whatarethecomplicationsassociatedwithendocarditis?Complicationsmaydevelopfromdamagecausedbyyourinfection.Thesecanincludeanabnormalheartrhythm,suchasatrialfibrillation,bloodclots,otherorganinjury,andhyperbilirubinemiawithjaundice.Infectedbloodcanalsocauseemboli,orclots,totraveltootherpartsofyourbody.Otherorgansthatcanbeaffectedinclude:kidneys,whichmaybecomeinflamed,causingaconditioncalledglomerulonephritislungsbrainbones,particularlyyourspinalcolumn,whichmaybecomeinfected,causingosteomyelitisBacteriaorfungicancirculatefromyourheartandaffecttheseareas.Thesegermscanalsocauseabscessestodevelopinyourorgansorotherpartsofyourbody.Additionalseverecomplicationsthatcanarisefromendocarditisincludestrokeandheartfailure.Howcanendocarditisbeprevented?Havinggoodoralhygieneandkeepingregulardentalappointmentscanhelplowertheriskofbacteriabuildingupinyourmouthandgettingintoyourbloodstream.Thisreducesyourriskofdevelopingendocarditisfromanoralinfectionorinjury.Ifyou’veundergoneadentaltreatmentthatwasfollowedupwithantibiotics,makesuretotakeyourantibioticsasdirected.Ifyouhaveahistoryofcongenitalheartdisease,aheartsurgery,orendocarditis,beonthewatchforthesignsandsymptomsofendocarditis.Payspecialattentiontoapersistentfeverandunexplainedfatigue.Contactyourdoctorassoonaspossibleifyouhaveanyofthesesymptoms.Youshouldalsoavoid:bodypiercingstattoosIVdruguseanyprocedurethatmightallowgermstoenteryourbloodLastmedicallyreviewedonJanuary29,2018MedicallyreviewedbyStacySampson,D.O.—WrittenbyAprilKahn—UpdatedonSeptember17,2018ReadthisnextInfectiveEndocarditisMedicallyreviewedbyGerhardWhitworth,R.N.Infectiveendocarditisisaninfectionintheheartvalvesorendocardium.Itcanleadtostrokeandheartfailure.Learnaboutthesymptomsand…READMORESepticemiaSepticemiaisaseriousbacterialinfectionthataffectstheblood.Discovercomplicationssuchassepsis,riskfactors,preventiontips,statistics…READMORETipsforPreventingOralHealthProblemsMedicallyreviewedbyChristineFrank,DDSREADMORE11WaystoKeepYourTeethHealthyMedicallyreviewedbyChristineFrank,DDSAchievinghealthyteethtakesalifetimeofcare.Evenifyou’vebeentoldthatyouhaveniceteeth,it’scrucialtotaketherightstepseverydayto…READMOREBoneInfection(Osteomyelitis)MedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPTAboneinfectionmayoccurwhenbacteriaorfungiinvadethebone,causingmanysymptoms,includingfever,redness,stiffness,andswelling.READMORETattooInfection:TipsforIdentificationandTreatmentMedicallyreviewedbyMeredithGoodwin,MD,FAAFPTattooinfectionsaren’tlikelyifyoutakecareoftheareaafteryougetinked.Stillthey’repossible.Here’showtoidentifyandtreatan…READMORE28HealthyHeartTipsMedicallyreviewedbyUniversityofIllinoisDiscover28waystopowerup,winddown,andhavefun—allinthenameofahealthyheart.Worktheseheart-healthyhabitsintoyourlifestyle.READMORESystemicGonococcalInfectionMedicallyreviewedbyNicoleGalan,RNSystemicgonococcalinfection,ordisseminatedgonococcalinfection(DGI),isaseriousmedicalconditionwherethebacteriathatcausegonorrheacan…READMOREGlomerulonephritis(Bright'sDisease)MedicallyreviewedbyCarissaStephens,R.N.,CCRN,CPNGlomerulonephritisisaseriousillnessthatcanstopyourkidneysfromfunctioningproperly.Learnhowthisconditionisdiagnosedandtreated.READMOREQFeverMedicallyreviewedbyCameronWhite,M.D.,MPHQfever,alsocalledqueryfever,isabacterialinfectioncausedbybacteriacommonlyfoundincattle,sheep,andgoats.HumanstypicallygetQfever…READMORE