Lyme Carditis

Lyme carditis is a bacterial infection of the heart caused by Lyme disease.

The bacteria hinders your heart's electrical system, as it enters the heart tissue and can interfere with electrical signals, causing a condition called heart block.

Symptoms of Lyme carditis include lightheadedness, fainting, heart palpitations, chest pains, and shortness of breath.

Treatment options include antibiotics and/or a temporary pacemaker.

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On this page

• What Is Lyme Carditis?
• What Are The Symptoms Of Lyme Carditis?
• How Do You Diagnose Lyme Carditis?
• How Do You Treat Lyme Carditis?

What Is Lyme Carditis?

Lyme carditis is a rare infection that occurs when Lyme bacteria enters your heart tissue. The bacteria affects your heart's electrical system.

Your heartbeat slows, and electrical signals have trouble traveling from your heart's upper chambers to the lower chambers. Doctors call this condition heart block.

What are the types of heart block?

There are three degrees of heart block:

• First degree (mild) — electrical signals reach the bottom chambers of the heart (ventricles), but they're slower than usual.
• Second degree (moderate) — electrical signals don't fully reach the bottom chambers of the heart.
• Third degree (severe) — electrical signals don't reach heart's bottom chambers at all.

What causes lyme carditis?

The bacteria that enters your heart comes from Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that spreads most often through black-legged tick bites.

How can I prevent lyme carditis?

The best way to prevent Lyme carditis is to avoid Lyme disease.

• Wear pants and long sleeves when in the woods or areas where ticks are common.
• Use tick repellent.
• Perform tick checks.

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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Lyme Carditis?

Symptoms of Lyme carditis include:

• Dizziness or light-headedness.
• Fainting.
• Shortness of breath.
• Chest pains.
• Heart palpitations.

These symptoms can also appear alongside symptoms of Lyme disease such as:

• Fever.
• Headache or body aches.
• Stiff neck.
• Fatigue.
• Rash (called erythema migraines).

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How Do You Diagnose Lyme Carditis?

Your doctor may order imaging scans and other tests to diagnose Lyme carditis and check your heart's functioning.

Tests include:

• Blood tests.
• MRI of the heart.
• Echocardiogram.

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How Do You Treat Lyme Carditis?

Taking antibiotics for two to three weeks will treat the bacterial infection. Most people recover from the Lyme carditis infection with antibiotic treatment.

Lyme carditis symptoms resolve within one to six weeks.

In some cases, you may need a temporary pacemaker implanted to correct the heart rate.

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By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2024-10-01.