Enlarged Heart

Enlarged heart, also known as cardiomegaly, is not a disease but a symptom that points towards an underlying disorder. The different heart diseases that may be a possible cause, are coronary heart diseases, cardiac ischaemia, myocarditis, heart valve disease, high blood pressure, etc.

Causes

As discussed above, an enlarged heart is not a disease, but rather a symptom of other heart ailments. The possible causes include:

High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is one of the reasons for enlarged heart. High blood pressure causes the heart to pump harder and this causes the muscles to enlarge.

Heart Valve Disease
The heart valve diseases that damage the four valves like rheumatic fever, endocarditis infection, connective tissue disorders, etc. may lead enlarge heart.

Cardiomyopathy
The thickening of the heart muscles may cause the heart to enlarge as it needs to pump more blood throughout the body.

Congenital Heart Defect
Enlarged heart in children is generally due to congenital heart defects. These defects force the heart muscles to pump harder and this leads to enlargement of heart muscles.

Arrhythmia
Cardiac arrhythmia or abnormal heartbeat can cause the heart to work extra and pump more blood. This can be one of the causes.

Anemia
Anemia is a condition where the red blood cell count is low and the number of cells carrying oxygen to different parts decreases. Long term anemia can lead to enlarged heart.

Other causes may include hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, hemochromatosis (excess iron level), amyloidosis (buildup of protein in heart), pulmonary hypertension, etc. Old age, previous heart attack, obesity and myocardiopathy, cardiovascular diseases may also lead to enlarged heart. Let us now understand what are the symptoms.

Symptoms

The symptoms are mostly asymptomatic and the condition is detected usually during routine physical check-up. The symptoms are usually seen when the heart is not able to pump blood normally and this leads to congestive heart failure.

• Difficulty in breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Arrhythmia
• Edema
• Cough
• Heart palpitations
• Dizziness

In case of the following symptoms, you need to seek immediate medical attention:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Fainting spells

Treatment

Usually a treatable condition, enlarged heart treatment involves taking care of the underlying condition. The treatment involves prescription of drugs that help control the high blood pressure. Some patients maybe advised medications that help in removal of excess fluid in the body. Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy may require mechanical intervention like a special pacemaker that helps in coordination of the contractions of left and right ventricle. Sometimes ICDs are placed to monitor the heart rhythm continuously.

If the enlarged heart causes problems with the valves, then surgery may be advised to remove the narrow valve and replace it with an artificial valve. The final and rarest treatment includes a heart transplant.

As you can see, the enlarged heart prognosis depends on treatment of the underlying condition. It is very important to speak to your doctor regarding any heart problems you maybe having. Early detection will be useful in prognosis and successful treatment. Many times, when the enlarged heart prognosis points towards a possible heart attack in future, the doctor may suggest surgery.

You should speak to your doctor regarding any doubts you may have regarding your heart health. Follow a healthy, stress free lifestyle to keep your heart beating normally. I hope this article on enlarged heart has helped cover some of your doubts regarding this heart condition.