Yasmin Vossoughian wanted to believe the doctors when she told them that the pain she was experiencing in her chest was just acid reflux. Unfortunately, he said, the body is “pretty sure not to believe” the wrong diagnosis.
Speaking on his return to MSNBC, the news anchor detailed how on December 20 he began experiencing chest pains that “waxed and wained” for the next 10 days. On December 30, she went to urgent care and was told she had reflux. “I didn’t buy it, but I’m relieved it wasn’t my heart,” he said. “My body really didn’t believe in reflux. The next morning I woke up with a lot of pain in my chest and left shoulder, like my chest was tight when I took a deep breath, which got worse when I was cutting.
Reminding viewers that he previously ran seven miles four days a week, and did not eat meat or smoke, Vossoughian said at the time he feared he was having a heart attack. In the emergency room, he was diagnosed with pericarditis — inflammation of the lining of the heart — caused by a virus or, in his case, the common cold.
“I have fluid inside my heart that needs to be drained or it could stop my heartbeat,” he said. “I was hospitalized for four nights. [On Jan. 7,] I was welcomed back when I felt my heart fluttering, like butterflies in my chest. They determined that I had myocarditis – an inflammation of the heart which is now – the heart muscle.
“I remember walking past the emergency room and asking: ‘What is this?’ No, thank God, but I spent another five days in the hospital where they ran a battery of tests, adjusted the meds and made sure nothing could have caused it. In the end it was still the cold that did all of this.”
Speaking to Insider, the 44-year-old journalist said she wanted to “listen to her gut” instead of accepting a “frustrating” misdiagnosis: “Sometimes as special women, we don’t trust our gut, Don’t trust our instincts because we’re happy, society tells us we’re happy .
Adding that in a high-pressure job like journalism, it can be tempting to jump back in, he warns, “You have to not let all those insecure feelings come back.”
What are the symptoms of pericarditis?
According to the American Heart Association, the disease can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi or other types of infection. Heart surgery and heart attacks can also cause the condition, as can existing medical problems, injuries and medications.
Pericarditis can be acute or chronic. Acute means it happens suddenly and doesn’t last long, chronic means it goes on for a long time and may take longer to heal. In severe cases, the disease can lead to abnormal heart rhythms and death. The most common symptom of pericarditis is chest pain. This is because the pericardium – the two-layered sac-like structure that holds the heart in place – can become inflamed and rub against the heart.
The Cleveland Clinic describes other symptoms of the disease, including sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you cough, swallow, lie or take a deep breath. Another symptom is discomfort when sitting and leaning forward. Other symptoms include pain in the patient’s back, neck or left shoulder, dry cough, palpitations (irregular heartbeat), anxiety, fever, fatigue—and in severe cases, swelling of the ankles, legs and feet.
In Vossoughian’s case, he developed pericarditis and myocarditis. Both are different because they relate to different points of inflammation in or around the heart. The latter can also be identified as when patients suffer from pericarditis, they feel better when sitting and moving forward, with myocarditis people tend to feel tired and weak.
Dr. Greg Katz was Vossoughian’s cardiologist when he was admitted to NYU Langone Hospital, and added that “anecdotally” he’s seen more of these cases after COVID. Speaking on MSNBC’s Vossoughian show, he explained, “No one knows exactly why this is and whether this is a standard blip or whether my anecdotal experience is a little skewed. Maybe this season is more severe from the virus than usual, maybe the immune system is a little different because we have been wearing masks and social distancing for several years.
Also describing the main symptoms of the disease, Katz echoes Vossoughian by telling people to listen to their bodies: “There is a feeling that ‘something is not right in my body’. Fever, chills, like non-specific symptoms. The feeling that something is wrong is time you have to think: ‘I have to check this.’… [W]I think we’ve all had a cold and we’ve all recovered from it and sometimes if the recovery is a little bit different, it’s not a bad idea to just make sure you’re checked out.
What is the treatment for pericarditis?
The Mayo Clinic says that pericarditis can be treated through a variety of methods. Over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers may be recommended such as Advil or Motrin IB. A drug called colchicine can also be used because it reduces inflammation but can interfere with other drugs. For those with longer-term symptoms, corticosteroids may be prescribed as powerful drugs that are also used to fight inflammation.
If, like Vossoughian, the condition is caused by an infection, then drainage may be needed, or antibiotics to combat the original problem. The drainage technique is called pericardiocentesis and is performed using a sterile syringe or small catheter. In extreme cases, the entire pericardium must be removed in a procedure called a pericardiectom, often recommended when the sac becomes rigid.
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