Endocarditis Symptoms

• Flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills
• Night sweats
• Skin rash
• Aching joints and muscles
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the chest
• Swelling in the legs, feet, or abdomen

• Blood in urine
• Poor appetite and unexplained weight loss
• Tenderness of the spleen (under the left rib cage)
• Painless spots on the soles of the feet or palms of the hand that are usually brown, red, or purple in color
• Painful bumps or patches of darkened skin on the tips of the toes or fingers
• Small red, purple, or brown spots on the skin, inside of the mouth, or whites of the eyes

There are two types of endocarditis.

Infective Endocarditis

• Acute infective endocarditis occurs when the condition comes on suddenly and can become life-threatening in a matter of days.
• Subacute or chronic infective endocarditis occurs when the condition develops more slowly over several weeks or months.
• Prosthetic valvular infective endocarditis results from an infection of an implanted prosthetic heart valve (used to replace a damaged or diseased heart valve), which typically develops within a year of the surgery.

Noninfective Endocarditis

Noninfective endocarditis is a rare condition and occurs when blood clots form on the heart valves in the absence of an infection. The cause of noninfective endocarditis is unknown, but it's thought to be associated with damage to the inner layer of the heart due to heart defects, some autoimmune diseases, and certain types of cancer.

• Heart valve damage
• Leaky valve
• Abscesses (pockets of pus) in the heart, lungs, brain, or other organs
• Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot that travels to the lungs)
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• Sepsis

While signs of endocarditis can be similar to other less serious conditions, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned here, discuss it with your healthcare provider. This is particularly important if you have a congenital heart defect, damaged or artificial heart valve, or a history of endocarditis.

• Fever
• Chills
• Shortness of breath
• Headache
• Joint pain

Alert your healthcare provider if any of these symptoms develop.

Endocarditis can cause flu-like symptoms in addition to swelling, skin rash, and other skin conditions like discoloration and bumps on the hands and feet. These symptoms can also be signs of less serious infections and conditions, but since endocarditis can quickly turn fatal if not treated, it’s important to get them checked out. If you have any concerns, the best way to get a diagnosis is to see your doctor.