Among the different kinds of cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common one (34), from which people suffer. In dilated cardiomyopathy, the capability of the heart to pump blood decreases significantly. This happens because the left ventricle, which is the main pumping chamber of the heart, becomes enlarged as well as weak. As a result, the heart does not fill up with blood in the manner it should. When this condition remains like this for a long time, the other chambers in the heart also start getting affected.
Causes of dilated cardiomyopathy
Hereditary factor is the most common cause of cardiomyopathy (35). But there are many other reasons which might lead to this problem. Some of the important ones among them include:
- Viral infections affecting the heart
- Severe coronary artery disease
- Thyroid disease
- Alcoholism
- Abnormalities in heart valve
- Diabetes
- Medicines which might have side effects on the heart
Symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy
It is very difficult to diagnose dilated cardiomyopathy in the initial stages as the problem comes with no prominent symptoms. A majority of people with this disease exhibit no symptoms at all. Some people might face minor symptoms and keep continuing with normal life as they are nothing pronounced and problem-creating ones. However, in some people symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy might be quite strong and might start worsening as the heart muscles get weaker with the passage of time. People in age group can suffer from dilated cardiomyopathy. Some of the symptoms to check out for include:
- Palpitations due to abnormal heart rhythms
- Shortness of breath
- Weight gain
- Lightheadedness or dizziness
- Fatigue
- Swelling in legs, feet and ankles
- Fainting
- Pressure on chest or chest pain
- Pooling of blood leading to blood clots in the dilated left ventricle. In case the blood clot ruptures, it can get inside an artery and hamper blood flow to the brain, leading to stroke or stroke like conditions. The clot can also hamper the flow of blood to various organs in the body, including the legs and the abdomen.
- Sudden death
Diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy
If the cardiologist suspects that you might be suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, he will ask to carry out some tests and investigations so that he can diagnose the problem accurately. Some of the things that need to be done for proper diagnosis include:
- Various kinds of blood tests
- Complete physical examination
- Knowledge and information about family history
- Chest X-ray
- Electrocardiogram
- Echocardiogram
- CT scans
- MRI (if needed)
- Stress Test
- Cardiac catheterization
Treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy
The main aim of treating dilated cardiomyopathy is to make the heart as strong as possible. Not only this, the treatment should be able to get rid of substances in the bloodstream, which cause enlargement of the heart. When not treated at the right time, dilated cardiomyopathy can lead to other severe symptoms. Here are some treatments that are done for dilated cardiomyopathy:
- Lifestyle changes – If your doctor warns that you have chances of heart failure, it is recommended to consume less sodium. The doctor might recommend aerobic exercises, but avoid doing heavy weight lifting.
- Medications – Some of the most common medications, which are recommended for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, include diuretics, beta blockers and ACE inhibitors. Many patients suffer from irregular heartbeat, known as arrhythmia in medical terms and there are medicines prescribed for controlling irregular heart beat. For preventing blood clots, blood thinners are also prescribed by doctors.
Other treatment procedures for dilated cardiomyopathy
People who suffer from acute and severe dilated cardiomyopathy might need to undergo following procedures and surgeries:
- Using biventricular pacemaker for cardiac resynchronization – People suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy are recommended to use biventricular pacemaker (36). This device will stimulate the right and left ventricles and the contractions of the heart get stronger. Symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy are reduced significantly along with dealing with issues of heart block or low heart rates.
- Implantation of cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) – These are great for people who are at high risk of arrhythmias or sudden cardiac arrest. The defibrillator monitors the rhythm of the heart and keeps it under control.
- Heart transplant or surgery – This is the last resort for treating the problem of dilated cardiomyopathy. The left ventricle is fixed in the process so that the heart functioning is not hampered in any manner.