Cardiomegaly

Cardiomegaly

Enlarged Heart

The word 'cardiomegaly' literally means 'enlarged heart'. This is a condition where the size of the heart increases, which may occur due to various reasons. Of all the conditions present in this cardiovascular diseases list, this is a relatively rare condition.

Causes:

• In certain cases, the myocardium, which is the heart wall gets thickened, which is known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Unfortunately, it is an inherited disorder that occurs due to genetic mutation.
• In other heart diseases, the heart muscles may become hypertrophic due to overload on the heart, especially the ventricles in certain cases where the demand is more, like high blood pressure during pregnancy, constant stress etc.

Symptoms:

Signs and symptoms of enlarged heart include:

• Coronary artery and valve spasm and/or disease
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Cardiac ischemia
• Thyroid problems
• Anemia
• Sleep apnea
• Swelling
• Shortness of breath
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Palpitation

Treatment:

The treatment of cardiomegaly involves treating the root cause of the condition. In case of hypertensives, the blood pressure should be brought down immediately by the use of anti-hypertensive drugs. Unfortunately, for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, there is no cure.

The prescribed treatment for enlarged heart includes:

• ACE inhibitors.
• Diuretic medication.
• Low-fat diet for healthy cholesterol level.
• Regular exercise regime.
• Frequent clinical analysis of the condition.