Causes, Symptoms, and Risk Factors of Endocarditis

Concepts of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Disorders
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Endocarditis
Endocarditis refers to the inflammation in the inner lining of the valves and chambers that form the heart. Infections are usually responsible for inflammation (Liesenborghs et al., 2020). Microorganisms at play include fungi and bacteria that travel from an infected body part through the bloodstream to the heart. Urgent treatment is necessary to protect the valves from being damaged (Cuervo et al., 2021). Every year, about thirteen cases of endocarditis are diagnosed out of one hundred thousand people in the United States (US) (Fleischauer et al., 2017). The essay will discuss the condition's pathophysiology, including the causes, symptoms, and risk factors.
Bacteria present in the body can prevail in the blood, where they travel to the heart and adhere to valves and heart tissues that are damaged or abnormal (N'guyen et al., 2017). The bacteria, fungi, and other harmful organisms can be found in the mouth, skin, digestive tract, and throat. The entry mode is usually through catheters that are usually mishandled or kept in place for a long time. Another entry mode is intravenous use of illegal drugs, the hygiene question of the needles used, and unhygienic practices such as improper teeth hygiene (Cuervo et al., 2021).
The common symptoms observed in patients include joint and muscle pain, pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, swelling, abnormal heart sound, fatigue, and symptoms resembling flu symptoms (Liesenborghs et al., 2020). The onset of the symptoms can be slow, depending on the micr...