As winter approaches, with the sudden drop in temperature, more and more people sneeze and have a runny nose. Some people think that it's just a small cold and cannot delay their daily life, so they still work overtime and check in for fitness as usual. Little do they know, high-pressure work and high-intensity exercise may trigger a dangerous disease - viral myocarditis. Is myocarditis caused by a cold? Due to the fact that patients often experience cold symptoms first, followed by symptoms of myocarditis such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Some people believe that this is because they did not cure their cold in a timely manner, which led to myocarditis. In fact, it is not a cold that causes myocarditis, but rather viral infections that cause cold symptoms such as fever and cough. At the same time, these viruses also invade the heart, leading to myocarditis. Winter is a peak season for respiratory infectious diseases, and these respiratory viruses may also invade the heart, triggering viral myocarditis. There are many viruses that can invade the heart, such as common influenza viruses, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, etc. According to the global average incidence rate of fulminant myocarditis, 30000 to 50000 people over 14 years old in China have fulminant myocarditis every year. Neglecting the importance of "cold" can lead to fatal viral myocarditis. The initial symptoms are similar to those of a cold, but if not treated in a timely manner, it may progress to fulminant myocarditis and even endanger life safety. Mild myocarditis in the early stage may have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, headache, as well as body aches, joint pain, fever, sore throat, diarrhea, etc. These symptoms are similar to a cold, and many people think they just have a severe cold. At this point, if one still does not rest well, continues to stay up late, work overtime, engage in vigorous exercise, or engage in heavy physical labor, it may lead to the outbreak of myocarditis. Explosive myocarditis is the most serious, special, and rare type of myocarditis, with a severe and aggressive condition that can rapidly progress to severe heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and even death within a short period of time after onset. The condition of this disease is critical, with a very high mortality rate. Previous reports have shown that the mortality rate of patients with fulminant myocarditis during hospitalization was as high as 45% to 55.6%. In recent years, due to the improvement of rescue measures, the mortality rate of patients during hospitalization has decreased to 3.7% to 8.1%. Proper protection against viruses to prevent infection is particularly important. The key is to reduce the risk of viral infection and be able to identify symptoms early and seek medical attention promptly. It is currently the peak season for respiratory infectious diseases. We suggest that you take the following four preventive measures. To avoid the invasion of viruses, it is important to wash hands frequently, avoid crowded places, ventilate the home, and wear warm clothing when going out. Improve the body's immunity, optimize the diet structure, adhere to regular exercise, ensure sufficient rest, avoid overwork, and pay attention to quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption to enhance the immune system's resistance. Exercise after catching a cold should be cautious. If the cold is severe and there are symptoms such as poor breathing and fatigue, regardless of whether there is myocarditis, it is best not to engage in vigorous exercise. Pay attention to body signals. If symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, and extreme fatigue occur after a cold or other viral infection, seek medical attention immediately for examination to rule out the possibility of myocarditis. (Xinhua News Agency) Article/Liu Jian (Peking University People's Hospital)