Treatment is aimed at the cause of the problem, and may involve:

• Antibiotics
• Anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce swelling
• Diuretics to remove excess water from the body
• Low-salt diet
• Reduced activity

If the heart muscle is very weak, your health care provider will prescribe medicines to treat heart failure. Abnormal heart rhythms may require the use of additional medications, a pacemaker, or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. If a blood clot is in the heart chamber, you will also receive blood thinning medicine.

How well you do depends on the cause of the problem and your overall health. The outlook varies. Some people may recover completely. Others may have permanent heart failure.

• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Pericarditis

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of myocarditis, especially after a recent infection.

Seek immediate medical help if you have severe symptoms or have been diagnosed with myocarditis and have increased:

• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling