This
is not the case as when someone is said to have a big heart. This kind
of 'generosity' can be dangerous to one's health and also life
threatening.
Not
to scare you, Cardiomegaly isn't a disease. It is a symptom of
underlying problem(s) that is causing the heart to work harder than
normal.
The
heart is an organ made up of contractile muscles. Coordinated
contractions of these muscle helps propel blood out of the atria and
ventricles to the blood vessels, and other parts of the body.
Cardiomegaly is one of the most common types of cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle).
CAUSES OF CARDIOMEGALY
As
stated earlier, conditions that causes enlarged heart are conditions
that lead to increased working and weakening of the heart muscles. These
conditions include:
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
Coronary
arteries are the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart
itself. Build up of fatty deposits or plaques inside one or more of
these arteries, (a condition known as atherosclerosis), can lead to
narrowing of the arteries, and this could cause Cardiac Ischaemia
(reduced blood flow to the heart). This reduces the oxygen supply to the
heart, and the heart tries to pump more and harder in order to
compensate for this.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (Hypertension)
This
could be complementary to atherosclerosis. The heart pumps blood with
more force than usual through the arteries, which puts strain on the
heart.
For more on hypertension, read HERE to learn how to deal with hypertension.
MYOCARDITIS
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle. It is caused by virus and can lead to heart failure, or sudden death.
WEAK HEART VALVE
A
faulty heart valve e.g the mitral valve, will allow blood to flow
backwards, which means the affected heart chamber has to contract with
more force than usual..
THYROID DISEASES
The
thyroid gland regulates many metabolic functions. Untreated, a thyroid
condition can lead to high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol
levels, irregular heartbeat and enlargement of the heart.
Other
contributing factors or conditions include obesity, lack of exercise,
previous heart attack, and also old people are at greatest risk, because
as we get older, our arteries lose some of their elasticity. This
stiffening of the blood vessels causes high blood pressure, which is a
risk factor for enlarged heart.
SYMPTOMS
Possible symptoms of an enlarged heart include
• Breathing problems e.g shortness of breath.
• Dizziness.
• Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
• Heart palpitations.
• Fluid retention and Oedema (swelling).
BUT, there are exceptional cases where an enlarged heart may be asymptomatic (have no symptoms).
TREATMENT
An
enlarged heart is treatable majorly by correcting the cause(s).
Treatment for an enlarged heart can include medications to control high
blood pressure and to prevent further enlargement, medical procedures or
surgery (to replace faulty heart valve).
Also
adopting a good lifestyle (through diet (by reducing fat intake),
stopping smoking and drinking, exercising (e.g regular cardiovascular
exercise).
Regular medical check-ups to make sure the treatments are working, and to detect potential dangers ahead of time.
#StayHealthy #StayAlive.
REFERENCE:
Better Health Channel