The Fight Against Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy has three different types – restrictive, dilated, and hypertropic. Cardiomyopathy is a condition wherein the heart beats abnormally with or without any obvious reasons. Hypertropic cardiomyopathy is a condition wherein the muscles of the heart may thicken without any reason at all.
Generally, hypertropic cardiomyopathy is a rare heart disease. Studies had shown that only one person in five hundred acquires the disease. But even if this is the case, non-profit organizations are joining hands with the government to fully control the disease and to further eradicate it.
Symptoms of Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy
The symptoms associated with hyprertropic cardiomyopathy are shortnerss of breath, chest pains, palpitation, light-headedness, and blackouts. The shortness of breath an individual might experience depends upon the severity of their condition. Most patients are prohibited from undergoing rigorous exercises because of the fatigue and breathlessness they would be feeling right after.
Chest pains are very common with people having heart conditions. Too much energy exertion causes this and more often than not, rest relieves it. But there are also times chest pains occur while a person sleeps. And for these instances, it is believed that the oxygen supply of the myocardium is insufficient, causing the heart to work overtime.
Palpitations happen the moment you become aware of your heart beating. There are times when people with hypertropic cardiomyopathy skip a heartbeat or instead, they feel and extra beat. Both these conditions are signs that their heart is not working properly and proper treatment has to be performed.
Being light-headed and blacking out is also common to people with hypertropic cardiomyopathy. Dizziness is something very ordinary and its episodes are usually associated with too much exercise. This particular symptom, more especially the episodes of blackouts, is critical. If and when they occur, the patient has to be observed by the doctor.
Diagnosis of Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy
Electrocardiogam is the tool used to diagnose hypertropic cardiomyopathy. ECG is a medical device, which is used to record the heart’s signals. With the data it generates, doctors will be able to study the heart’s signals and compare it with a person with normal heart reading. They would then know how much the heart is affected from the disease.
Echocardiogram is another test to perform. The heart is subjected to an ultrasound scan. This is a non-invasive test and with the use of sound waves, an image of the heart is produced. And the image will show how much the heart was dilated.
Physical examination must be the simplest test to perform. A person’s pulse can show whether or not the heart is forcefully working or is thickened. This test is not really accurate that is why other methods like the one stated above needs to be performed as well.
The treatment of hypertropic cardiomyopathy is first carried out through drug therapy. Drugs like beta-blockers, calcium antagonists, anti-arrhythmic drugs, diuretics, and antibiotics are administered. A combination of these drugs may be prescribed. Dosage depends upon the actual heart condition of the patient.
But if these drugs fail to treat the disease, surgery is the next option. The procedure is called surgical myectomy and a certain amount of muscle in the ventricular wall is removed. More often than not, this successfully treats the disease. But there can also be rare instances that a second operation has to be done because the disease resurfaced.
And if this disease is left untreated, other complications may occur. Arrhythmias and endocarditis is the most frequently observed problems. Heart blocks are also expected. But the most fatal complication of hypertropic cardiomyopathy is sudden death. Although the instances rare, it can still happen. Death due to this disease is expected in 2% of the patients.
