Cardiomyopathy is a heart muscle disease. This disease can cause your heart muscle to become enlarged, thick or rigid. All of which can weaken your heart’s blood pumping capability to the point of failure.
Cardiomypathy heart disease is brought to you via three main types, dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common type. With this form of myopathy, your left ventricle becomes enlarged. Outcome is a less forceful pump.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is thickening of your heart muscle. Your heart stiffens and its pumping chamber shrinks in size. Less in, less out.
Restrictive cardiomyopathy type is where your heart muscle becomes rigid. Less elasticity means less filling between heartbeats.
In the early stages of cardiomyopathy you likely won’t experience any symptoms. As it progresses, your heart becomes weaker, and this can lead to heart failure.
Symptoms that usually present as your cardiomyopathy advances involve:
- fatigue
- dizziness
- weakness
- arrhythmia
- endocarditis
- heart murmur
- breathlessness
- lightheadedness
- pulmonary edema
- abdominal bloating
- leg, ankle, foot edema
- exercise induced fainting
With all three types of cardiomyopathy, these symptoms tend to worsen. And for some, it can happen very quickly.
Ofttimes, the cause of cardiomyopathy is unknown. Sometimes, contributing circumstances can be identified. Possible weak heart causes include:
- aging
- hereditary
- pregnancy
- alcoholism
- sarcoidosis
- amyloidosis
- gene mutations
- heart valve issues
- hemochromatosis
- high blood pressure
- previous heart attack
- chronic rapid heart rate
- coronary artery disease
- certain poisons ~ cobalt
- infections, especially viral
- connective tissue disorders
- some chemotherapy drugs ~ treats cancer
- metabolic disorders ~ thyroid disease, diabetes
- cocaine, amphetamines, antidepressant medication abuse
- nutritional deficiencies ~thiamin, selenium, calcium, magnesium
A cardiomyopathy encounter may generate these complications:
When cardiomyopathy is diagnosed early, treatment may prevent it from getting worse. The type of treatment depends on which type and how serious. Your treatment might entail medications, implanted devices or a heart transplant.
You can reduce your chances of heart failure by avoiding some conditions that can contribute to a weak heart. A healthy diet and routine exercise, coupled with alcohol and drug abuse abatement, awards your heart with pump advantage.
