Dilated Cardiomyopathy – What it is, Causes and Symptoms

Dilated Cardiomyopathy – What it is, Causes and Symptoms that many still don’t know. Furthermore, Dilated Cardiomyopathy  is a disease of the heart muscle that prevents the proper pumping of blood to the body, causing complications such as arrhythmias, blood clots and sudden death.

Dilated cardiomyopathy does   not necessarily cause symptoms and can therefore, for some people, be fatal. Dilated Cardiomyopathy is the   most common cause of heart failure , that is, the inability of the heart to deliver adequate oxygen to the tissues and organs. Dilated cardiomyopathy primarily affects the left ventricle, an important pumping chamber in your heart. The left ventricle becomes enlarged (dilated) and the muscle fibers are stretched as far as possible, making it more difficult to shorten and squeeze the blood out.

Dilated cardiomyopathy can affect people of all ages and both sexes. There are some treatments available with the aim of promoting an improvement in blood flow and a reduction in the symptoms of Dilated Cardiomyopathy .

Causes of Dilated Cardiomyopathy:  The Causes of Dilated Cardiomyopathy are:

• Alcoholism;
• Post-viral myocarditis;
• Sarcoidosis;
• Post childbirth;
• Doxorubicin toxicity;
• Endocrinopathies (hyperthyroidism, acromegaly, pheochromocytoma);
• Hemochromatosis;
• idiopathic.

Symptoms of Dilated Cardiomyopathy:  If you have Dilated Cardiomyopathy , you are likely to have signs and symptoms only when Dilated Cardiomyopathy causes heart failure or arrhythmias. Symptoms of Dilated Cardiomyopathy include:

• Fatigue and weakness;
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea) when you are active or lying down
• Vertigo, dizziness or fainting;
• Persistent cough, especially when lying down;
• Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet;
• Swelling of the abdomen;
• Sudden weight gain from fluid retention;
• Lack of appetite;
• Feeling of fast heartbeats (palpitations);
• Pale skin.

Treatment of Dilated Cardiomyopathy:  The treatment of Dilated Cardiomyopathy aims to reduce symptoms and control the causes, when they are known, in order to prevent further damage to the heart. Several drugs can be used for this purpose, and the combined use of several of them is common.

Devices such as the pacemaker can be implanted to help manage Dilated Cardiomyopathy , as can the implantable cardio defibrillator. In more severe cases of Dilated Cardiomyopathy  or in cases of non-response to medications and other treatment approaches , a heart transplant may be indicated.

Note: Dilated Cardiomyopathy should be detected as soon as possible. Some of the possible complications are heart failure , edema, arrhythmias, embolism and cardiac arrest. Dilated cardiomyopathy when left untreated can lead to death.