Understanding Cardiomyopathy

September 25 11:31 2017 by admin Print This Article

Cardiomyopathy relates to the electrical dysfunction of the heart.
Cardiomyopathy may be confined to the heart or may be part of a generalized systemic disorder.
It can lead to cardiovascular death or progressive heart failure–related disability .

Causes of Cardiomyopathy
• Heart valve problems
• Chronic rapid heart rate
• Long-term high blood pressure
• Heart tissue damage from a previous heart attack
• Genetic conditions
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Metabolic disorders
• Pregnancy complications
• Certain infections

Symptoms
• Breathlessness
• Swelling in legs, ankles and feet
• Bloated sensation
• Frequent racking cough
• Fatigue
• Irregular heartbeats
• Chest pain
• Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting

When to see a doctor
Get to a hospital if you have any of these symptoms.
• Severe difficulty breathing
• Fainting
• Chest pain that lasts for more than a few minutes

Types of cardiomyopathy include:
1. Dilated cardiomyopathy (The left ventricle becomes enlarged and can’t effectively pump blood out of the heart)
2. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Heart muscle gets thick)
3. Restrictive cardiomyopathy( Tends to affect older people)
4. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (condition is often caused by genetic mutation)

Complications from cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Blood clots (blood thinner will help)
• Valve problems
• Cardiac arrest and sudden death.

Surgical options for Cardiomyopathy
Several types of surgery are used to treat cardiomyopathy.
• Septal myectomy(open-heart surgery)
• Surgically implanted devices (like pacemaker)
• Heart transplant (Replacing diseased heart with a healthy heart from a deceased donor)
• Nonsurgical Procedure (alcohol septal ablation)

Prevention
• Stop smoking
• Lose weight
• Exercise regularly
• Get regular checkups with your doctor
• Address underlying symptoms