What is it?
Cardiomyopathy is a term to describe a disease that affects the muscles of the heart. Cardiomyopathy occurs when the muscles of the heart become stiff and enlarged and it makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood. In response, it may cause heart failure and the weakened heart will be able to pump blood causing blood to flow inadequately into the lungs and other areas of the body. There are three main type of cardiomyopathy, which are dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the common form of cardiomyopathy, in which the left ventricle it not pumping at its capacity and is not forceful. Therefore, the left ventricle become dilated and does not adequately …show more content…
Patients with high blood pressure can get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy because the heart has to pump blood harder because of the high pressure within the blood vessel. Over time, the heart muscles thicken and making it increasingly harder for the heart to pump an adequate amount of blood. WIth age someone can get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or restrictive cardiomyopathy. However, restrictive cardiomyopathy occurs when there is a buildup of scar tissue that appears after having heart surgery. Conditions like amyloidosis and hemochromatosis can cause restrictive cardiomyopathy because they both restrict the heart. Amyloidosis is a condition that occurs when there is an abnormal buildup of proteins and hemochromatosis can cause restrictive cardiomyopathy because there is an excessive amount of iron in the heart which can decrease the capacity of the …show more content…
Doctors can also look at family history, do blood test and conduct a physical examination. During the physical examination the doctor will listen to the patient heart for any abnormal sounds. Additionally, a X Ray can also help determine if the heart is enlarged, which is a common physical attribute to identify cardiomyopathy. Similar to an X Ray, a echocardiography can determine the functionality of the heart and its shape. Echocardiography uses sound waves to produce a detailed picture of the patient’s heart. An EKG is also a useful way to diagnosis this disease because it allows the doctor to see the rhythmic pace and electrical activity of the heart and look for any irregularities. Similar to an EKG, Holter and event monitors track the electrical activity of the heart during a certain duration. For instance, Holter monitors records the heart for about 24 hours and event monitors are used only when the patient starts feeling any
Cardiomyopathy is a term to describe a disease that affects the muscles of the heart. Cardiomyopathy occurs when the muscles of the heart become stiff and enlarged and it makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood. In response, it may cause heart failure and the weakened heart will be able to pump blood causing blood to flow inadequately into the lungs and other areas of the body. There are three main type of cardiomyopathy, which are dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the common form of cardiomyopathy, in which the left ventricle it not pumping at its capacity and is not forceful. Therefore, the left ventricle become dilated and does not adequately …show more content…
Patients with high blood pressure can get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy because the heart has to pump blood harder because of the high pressure within the blood vessel. Over time, the heart muscles thicken and making it increasingly harder for the heart to pump an adequate amount of blood. WIth age someone can get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or restrictive cardiomyopathy. However, restrictive cardiomyopathy occurs when there is a buildup of scar tissue that appears after having heart surgery. Conditions like amyloidosis and hemochromatosis can cause restrictive cardiomyopathy because they both restrict the heart. Amyloidosis is a condition that occurs when there is an abnormal buildup of proteins and hemochromatosis can cause restrictive cardiomyopathy because there is an excessive amount of iron in the heart which can decrease the capacity of the …show more content…
Doctors can also look at family history, do blood test and conduct a physical examination. During the physical examination the doctor will listen to the patient heart for any abnormal sounds. Additionally, a X Ray can also help determine if the heart is enlarged, which is a common physical attribute to identify cardiomyopathy. Similar to an X Ray, a echocardiography can determine the functionality of the heart and its shape. Echocardiography uses sound waves to produce a detailed picture of the patient’s heart. An EKG is also a useful way to diagnosis this disease because it allows the doctor to see the rhythmic pace and electrical activity of the heart and look for any irregularities. Similar to an EKG, Holter and event monitors track the electrical activity of the heart during a certain duration. For instance, Holter monitors records the heart for about 24 hours and event monitors are used only when the patient starts feeling any