Cardiomyopathy- Symptoms and Causes
Cardiomyopathy means ailments associated with the muscles of the heart. The heart muscles become so incompetent that becomes very difficult for the heart to pump blood properly to the body, resulting in heart failure.
Cardiomyopathy are of three types
- Dilated,
- Hypertrophic, and
- Restrictive
Symptoms
Cardiomyopathy is asymptomatic in initial days, although in later stages people experience following symptoms :
- Pressure and pain in the chest
- Oedema in ankles and feet
- Ascites, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity
- Cough while lying down
- Breathlessness even when at rest
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue
Symptoms get worse if they are untreated.
Causes:
The cause of cardiomyopathy is unknown, some inherit it while few acquire it.
Some causes to acquire cardiomyopathy are:
- Hypertension
- Smoking tobacco
- Damaged heart tissues because of heart attack
- Chronic tachycardia
- Heart valves disorder
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Thyroid disorder
- Nutritional deficiency of vitamin B
- Substance abuse
- Connective tissue disorder
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Too much of iron in the body
- Amyloidosis
- Certain drugs are taken during chemotherapy
Risk factors:
- Family history
- Obesity, which makes the heart work hard
- Substance abuse
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- History of high blood pressure
Complications :
- Heart failure, as the heart is not functioning properly causing lack of blood supply to the body and heart resulting in heart failure.
- Blood clots which are formed because of backflow of blood flow in the ventricle as the heart muscles are not working properly. These blood clots in the bloodstream can be very dangerous and painful leading to ischemia.
- Cardiac arrest, due to lack of blood supply to the heart muscles there can be Cardiac arrest leading to sudden death.
Prevention :
In most of the cases, cardiomyopathy cannot be prevented. The doctor must be aware of the family history of cardiomyopathy.
Following precautions can reduce the chances of developing cardiomyopathy, like :
- Avoiding alcohol and cocaine
- Having a healthy balanced diet
- By controlling hypertension
- By controlling blood cholesterol levels
- Going for walks regularly
- Getting enough sleep
- Reducing stress
When to see a doctor :
When you see two or more symptoms associated with cardiomyopathy. Please tell your doctor about your family history also.
