An enlarged heart can be due to many causes. However, in most cases it is the direct result of high blood pressure or a coronary heart disease. This causes for improper pumping of the blood and can bring about congestive heart failure. In some cases, an enlarged heart can improve on its own over time. However, many people with an enlarged heart may have to resort to life-long medication.
Types of Enlarged Heart
The heart enlarges solely due to damage to the heart muscles. Despite being damages the heart can pump blood normally up to a point. But, when the condition progresses, the heart’s ability to pump blood begins to take a hit.
In some cases, the walls of the ventricles begin to get thin and stretched which enlarges your heart. In certain other types. The muscular left ventricle becomes too thick. High blood pressure may cause the left ventricle of the heart to enlarge. An enlarged heart can retain much of its pumping capacity when it is thick as opposed to thin.
What Causes Cardiomegaly?
Blockages is what triggers cardiomegaly(13) as they affect the heart’s supply of blood. High blood pressure may also cause an enlarged heart. Some other causes include:
- Abnormal heart valve
- Viral infection affecting the heart
- Peripartum cardiomyopathy – heart enlargement during pregnancy
- Kidney ailments that require dialysis
- HIV infection
- Alcohol or cocaine abuse
- Genetic as well as inherited conditions
In many cases, the cause remains unknown and in such cases it is referred to as idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (14).
Symptoms of an enlarged heart
Most often than not, an enlarged heart doesn’t throw up any symptoms. It is when it is unable to pump blood well that you may experience symptoms such as:
- Shortness of breath (when lying down or active)
- Swelling in the legs
- Unexplained weight gain in your midsection
- Fatigue
- Skipped heart beats or palpitations
Many folks never exhibit any symptoms. Others may have certain symptoms that do not change for years. While some others may have shortness of breath that only gets worse with time.
How is Enlarged Heart Diagnosed?
Often an enlarged heart is found through a test ordered to diagnose something else. That said, the best way to diagnose if you suffer from an enlarged heart is to undergo an echocardiogram. There is no risk of undergoing this test and no pain whatsoever.
This test measures the heart’s:
- Size
- Pumping function
- Muscle thickness
In many cases, an ECG can help your doctor also diagnose what is causing your enlarged heart.
Some other factors and symptoms that help you discover an enlarged heart include:
Your medical history: Symptoms such as shortness of breath among other symptoms of congestive heart failure could provide clues.
A thorough physical exam: Swelling can be an indication at times. Also, an enlarged heart will produce abnormal sounds when listened to via a stethoscope.
Chest X-ray: When you suffer from certain types of heart enlargement, it increases the size of your heart on a chest X-ray film.
Cardiac catheterization: This procedure is conducted to spot blockages in the coronary arteries. This test may also be used to determine the heart’s size and pumping function.
Blood tests: A number of blood tests may be ordered to check for other ailments that can lead to an enlarged heart. These include:
- Thyroid disease
- HIV
- Viral infections
MRIs and CT scans: These tests, though expensive, may help diagnose an enlarged heart in some cases.
Biopsy: In some rare cases, the cardiologist may ask for a small tissue to take taken from the insides of the heart to diagnose the cause of an enlarged heart.
Treatment options forEnlarged Heart (Cardiomegaly)
Most treatment options focus on the underlying cause.
Coronary artery disease: In such cases opening up the blockages in the blood vessels that carry oxygen to the heart, can greatly improve blood flow to the heart muscles. If you are suffering from cardiomegaly due to a blockage, this will help.
Hypertension: By controlling high blood pressure you can prevent further heart damage. This can also help your heart work much better.
Alcohol or drug abuse: If you have an enlarged heart and are alcoholic, you must quit. Drugs and alcohol have an adverse effect on heart conditions. Stopping the use of these harmful substances can greatly improve the symptoms of an enlarged heart and also promote better heart function.
Heart valve disease: Certain less invasive procedures are performed to repair or replace a damaged heart valve that may be causing cardiomegaly.
If your enlarged heart is leading to congestive heart failure, other treatments are employed to ease symptoms and keep your heart working as it is. These include:
Diuretics: Also known as, “Water pills” these can help your condition greatly(15). It causes you to pee more and this means your heart doesn’t have to pump as much. This also helps alleviate leg swelling.
Beta-blockers or Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: You may be prescribed these to treat high blood pressure, and also improve heart health.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: In some cases, a device will be implanted into the chest that can restart the heart if it ceases to beat. These implants also help the heart pump more effectively.
In a few rare cases, the doctor may suggest a heart implantation.