Cardiomyopathy and How to Deal With It

Cardiomyopathy is the inflammation of the heart muscles. And it is a fact that when the heart muscles become inflamed, it cannot do its task in the expected amount of efficiency. Cardiomyopathy can be due to a lot of factors, with viral infections on top of the list.

Cardiomyopathy has two kinds – the primary cardiomyopathy and the secondary cardiomyopathy. If cardiomyopathy is due to a determined cause, the case is referred to as secondary cardiomyopathy. If the specific cause of the disease can’t be identified at all, then it is a case of primary cardiomyopathy.

Aside from these two kinds, cardiomyopathy can be further classified into three types – the restrictive, the hypertrophic, and the dilated cardiomyopathy. Restrictive cardiomyopathy is rare in the U.S. In this condition, the heart muscles, more particularly in the ventricles, becomes very rigid. When this happens, the heart finds it hard to fill it with blood as it beats. Because of this, the person will easily get tired, might develop swollen limbs, and will have difficulty breathing under physical exertion. Restrictive cardiomyopathy happens mainly because of another underlying disease.

In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the left ventricle enlarges. In this condition, normal blood flow is obstructed and so the heart cannot function right. Because of this, the walls of the heart would thicken and that may eventually distort one mitral valve leaflet, causing a leak in it. In most cases, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is hereditary and is commonly diagnosed in the early adult stages.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is by far, the very common type of this disease. People suffering from it have heart cavities that are enlarged and expanded, as in cardiac dilation cases. The heart becomes so weak it cannot pump blood in the normal way any longer. The result then, is heart failure. Other abnormalities, as observed in heartbeats and rhythms also occurs.

In a heart with dilated cardiomyopathy, blood flows slower than usual. Blood clots then are likely to form. When the clot forms in the heart’s artery that is called thrombus. However, if a part of it breaks free, it would travel with the rest of the blood and may block a relatively minute blood vessel. That condition is term embolus.

The treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy is carried out through the use of an anticoagulant. This is a kind of drug that inhibits the clotting of the blood. If arrhythmia, or irregular heart rhythm is present in the patient, then a drug to cure that is also prescribed.

On the other hand, for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, treatment is performed through the use of beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers. But if these drugs fail to cure the disease, surgical treatments may be in place. One way to cure hypertrophic cardiomyopathy without the use of surgery is alcohol ablation. This method is conducted by injecting a certain amount of alcohol to the additional muscle of the heart resulting from the disease. The alcohol’s job is to destroy that extra muscle so that the surgical removal of it will no longer be necessary.

The symptoms of cardiomyopathy include breathlessness both during physical exertion and at rest. The swelling of the limbs, mostly the lower extremities and the presence of fluid in the abdomen are also expected. Dizziness, arrhythmia, and fatigue could happen. But it is quite notable to know that the early stages of cardiomyopathy do not show any signs or symptoms at all. So if and when its symptoms do occur, it is best to consult with a physician right away.

To diagnose cardiomyopathy, chest x-ray and electrocardiogram are commonly used. Aside from that, cardiac catheterization and biopsy is also conducted. In this test, a thin tube is inserted through the blood vessels so that a sample or a biopsy of the heart can be analyzed. And of course, blood tests can also be requested.