Cardiomyopathy
A Disease Of The Heart Muscle
Cardiomyopathy is a serious medical condition that affects the muscles in your heart. It can be caused by
a number of factors and successful treatment will depend upon finding the precise cause.
It can result from high blood pressure, diabetes,
coronary artery disease, thyroid disease, alcohol abuse, medication, and even pregnancy. Some types of
cardiomyopathy runs in families. So if a close relative has had it, you are at an even greater
risk.
The symptoms of cardiomyopathy include chest pain,
shortness of breath, shortness of breath that is worse when lying down, swelling of your ankles, legs, or feet,
fainting, feeling dizzy, coughing, exhaustion, and bloating of your abdomen. These symptoms are similar to other
heart conditions so your doctor will need to run labs and other diagnostic tests to give you a definitive
diagnosis.
Some tests you might undergo include a chest x-ray that
shows the size and position of your heart, an MRI that creates computer images of your heart, an echocardiogram
that measures the thickness of your heart muscles, and an ECG that measures the electrical conductivity of your
heart.
Once your doctor has determined you have cardiomyopathy, or a disease of your heart
muscle, it is time to work on finding the cause and coming up with a treatment plan. If you have high blood
pressure for example, your doctor may prescribe medications for it. If you are overweight, your doctor will
probably advise you to lose weight and increase your daily activity level. In addition, he may want you to go on a
low sodium diet in order to improve your overall heart health.
More serious cases of cardiomyopathy may require extensive use of cardiac
medications, the insertion of a pacemaker, or even a heart transplant. Drugs are given when needed to help your
heart relax so it can pump more efficiently. Some drugs work directly on your heart to help it produce more stable
electrical rhythms. If you have severe thickening of your heart muscle, your doctor may advise you to have an
automatic defibrillator implanted into your chest if you are at risk of sudden cardiac death. This device is
similar to a pacemaker. It will monitor your heart and provide a small electric shock if needed to bring heart
rhythms back to normal.
Septal ablation is a new form of treatment for cardiomyopathy that is still under
investigation. With it, your doctor injects alcohol into the heart artery that supplies the thickened muscle. This
in effect creates a tiny heart attack that helps to relieve obstructions. A myectomy is another treatment for
cardiomyopathy. It involves removing part of the thickened septal muscle in your heart so the obstruction is
decreased. This type of surgery has proven to be a very effective treatment, but because it is open heart surgery,
it is usually only done when less invasive methods, such as medication, have failed.
Although a serious medical condition, cardiomyopathy can often be successfully
treated or managed. Successful treatment also includes educating close friends and family members about your
disease so they know what to do in case of a cardiac emergency.
Return From Cardiomyopathy To Blood Pressure Monitors
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