What Are The Symptoms Of Bacterial Endocarditis?
My inbox just received an email that I can relate too.
The email reads, “Adam, What are the symptoms of bacterial endocarditis? Is chest pain a symptom of endocarditis?”
Before I dive straight into the answer, you should know that I was initially diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve as a little boy. I think I was five years old when I learned about my heart murmur.
From that moment on, I had to pre-medicate every time I saw the dentist. My mom told me it was very, very, very important to take medication every time I went for a cleaning or a cavity filling.
Now, I don’t like the dentist to begin with… So, this just added to my resistance. 
At the time, I had no idea that my parents and dentist were protecting me from the problems of bacterial endocarditis. For those of you who don’t know, bacterial endocarditis is an infection of the heart’s inner lining (endocardium) or the heart valves. Problems of bacterial endocarditis can damage or even destroy your heart valves.
According to the American Heart Association, there are about 29,000 cases of endocarditis diagnosed a year.
Now that we all know what bacterial endocarditis is, I can get back to the original question, “What are the symptoms of bacterial endocarditis? Is chest pain a symptom of endocarditis?” Fyi, symptoms of endocarditis may develop slowly (subacute) or suddenly (acute).
- Fever which may be present on a daily basis for months before other symptoms appear.
- Fatigue, malaise (general discomfort)
- Headache
- Night sweats
- Small dark lines, called splinter hemorrhages, may appear under the fingernails.
- Enlarged spleen
- Mild anemia
- Murmurs result from changes in blood flow across valves when clumps of bacteria, fibrin and cellular debris, called vegetations, collect on the heart valves. The mitral valve is most commonly affected, followed by the aortic valve.
In review of these symptoms for bacterial endocarditis, my research did not indicate chest pain as a symptom of bacterial endocarditis. However, I would suggest additional research if you are nervous about your condition.
I hope this helps answer your question of, “What are the symptoms of bacterial endocarditis?” and “Is chest pain a symptom of bacterial endocarditis?”
Keep on tickin!
About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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July 28th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Adam - In response to Cheryl’s concern for patients knowing about endocarditis, I wanted to add that my Dad also got this infection in March of 2009. It was consistent high blood sugar readings for three plus days that brought him to the emergency room. He is a type 1 diabetic who was able to manage his glucose levels very well on an insulin pump but no matter what he did (including fasting), nothing kept the numbers from rising. We had no idea that this was a sign of an infection but we quickly learned an awful lot.
He had an aortic valve replacement in February and a stent procedure in March prior to the endocardits diagnosis. I could write a book about this topic but my Dad had to undergo a second valve replacement surgery 8 weeks after his first operation. He is a 74 year old survivor who has had to overcome a lot during his recovery (anaphylactic reaction to penicillin, temporary kidney dialysis, 6 weeks in a nursing home upon hospital release to regain independence, back to the hospital to drain fluid from his lung, learning what antibiotics he can and cannot tolerate, anemia and extreme weakness). But thanks be to God his mind has not been affected and he is recovering. He has been home for two months (after having been in the hospital / home for two months) and he started cardiac rehab recently. He has had to overcome a lot but news is encouraging considering the seriousness of endocarditis. From Lori Williams in PA
July 29th, 2009 at 9:38 am
I have had endocarditis twice. The first time we could not determine the cause. The second time happened because I went to the dentist when I got out of the hospital (In 1968 you had to spend at least five weeks in the hospital in order to take 20 million unitis of pencillin by IV a day) I went to the dentist. I told him that I had just had SBE (Subacute baterical endocrditis, and had spent almont two months in the hospital. He replied “I think that we studied about that in dental school.” He proceeded to clean my teeth without any type of protection. In less than two months I was back in the hospital with endocarditis. This time my aortic valve was damaged so badly that the Dr. said I would have to have my Aortic valve replaced. I was only 26 years old, and in very good physical condition, so it was eight years before I had to have my valve replaced. The Bjork-Shiley valve had just been developed, so Dr. John Kirkland at the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham used it, instead of a cadaver valve that he had planned on using. That was on November 22 1974. Because it is a mechanical valve, I have been on Coumadin every since. I have been very lucky and have not had any real problems with the Coumadin. I would be happy to discuss my Coumadin experience with anyone that is facing a long term course of Coumadin.
As far as the symptoms of endocarditis, They are often very difficult to detect. I spent about four months going to the Doctor with continuious low grade fever, night sweats, fatigue, general discomfort, malaise, and splinters under my finger nails. It was only after I changed doctors (I choose a very young doctor recently out of medical school, and he determined after about 45 minutes of through exam that I had a blood infection. He sent me to Vanderbilt Hospital, where they grew cultures in about three days. I then spent two months in the hospital, the first 20 days flat on my back. I could not even raise my head or get out of bed to go to the bathroom. They changed my linens with me in the bed. I had an IV going 24/7. They did not do a pick line, or a cutdown, but used metal needles. The location of the IV had to be changed every two or three days. I was taking 20 million units of penicillin a day. After I completed the penicillin regiment, I had to spend several more days in the hospital. I had to have physical therapy because I had been so inactive.