Cardiomyopathy are conditions that affects your heart muscles. If you suffer from cardiomyopathy, your heart wont be able to efficiently pump blood to the rest of your body. Cardiomyopathy may cause your heart to stidden, enlarge or thicken, and cause scar tissues to form. As a result, your heart's ability to pump blood around the body will be affected.
Over time, this causes your heart to weaken and may eventually lead to heart failure. Treatment can help and some people with cardiomyopathy may eventually require a heart transplant. The common types of cardiomyopathy include dilated, hypertrophic, and restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Some people with cardiomyopathy may not experience any symptoms. For others, symptoms may appear as the conditions becomes worse. Some symptoms people with cardiomyopathy may experience include:
Seek emergency medical attention if you experience trouble breathing, experience chest pains lasting more than a few minutes or have fainted.
The exact cause of Cardiomyopathy is not known but some people may develop it as a result of a pre-existing condition, this is known as acquired cardiomyopathy. Other people may be born with it due to a gene passed on from a parent, and this is referred to as inherited cardiomyopathy.
Some conditions that may lead to acquired cardiomyopathy include:
There are several factors that may increase your risk of cardiomyopathy, this include:
Blood Tests
Blood tests may be conducted to check your iron levels and to see how well your kidney, thyroid and liver are working.
Imaging Test
You may be asked to undergo a chest X-ray, cardiac MRI, or cardiac CT scan to show the condition of the lungs and heart.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
An ECG is used to measure the electrical activity of the heart. It shows your heart rhythm and how slow or fast the heart is beating.
