Cardiomegaly

The heart is a vital organ in the body. Its main function is to pump blood, so it is essential for the rest of the organs to function properly. As with other muscles in the human body , the heart can become inflamed and hypertrophied.

Thus, cardiomegaly is a heart disease characterized by the fact that it has increased in size in relation to its normal dimensions. The truth is that there is no fixed measure since the size of the heart depends on the size of the person in question; thus, it is considered to be larger than usual when it covers more than half the diameter of the rib cage.

It is an indication that occurs frequently in a large selection of cardiomyopathies since in many cases its cause is inflammation of the myocardium.

Types of cardiomegaly

A patient with cardiomegaly may have one of the following three types of heart that is larger than normal.

Expanded

It is known as that heart muscle that is weakened and whose chambers are dilated . Although the enlargement of the chambers of the heart is a problem, it is not the main one. And is that this type of enlarged heart affects all parts of the myocardium of a certain person, significantly increasing the risk of heart failure.

Hypertrophic

This disorder is called hypertrophic cardiomegaly. It occurs when there is an overgrowth of the heart muscle , considerably hindering both the entry and exit of blood. Thus, the fibers of the heart grow in a very unusual way, causing the chambers to appear excessively large and with very thick walls.

It is common for the septum of the heart to enlarge so that the two sides are not even. Although the left ventricle can contract, sometimes the patient’s brain, as well as other important organs in his body, do not receive the amount of blood they need to function normally.

Restrictive

It is the least common type of cardiomegaly of all. It occurs when the heart is infiltrated with unusual things. Thus, it is unable to expand enough to be able to fill with blood; Nor is it able to contract as much as it needs to so that the lungs can get the blood they need for oxygen.

Causes of cardiomegaly

Regarding the causes of this disease, it may be due to a congenital condition , or a heart problem that develops over time . Generally speaking, any disease that causes the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body can cause the body to enlarge. The exact same thing happens when working the muscles of the arms and legs, for example; they are enlarged because of that work.

Below we indicate which are the most common causes of this condition.

Ischemic heart disease

This disorder arises when narrowed arteries , caused by fatty deposits that accumulate in the arteries, make it impossible for blood to reach the heart . It is therefore a disease that affects the coronary arteries and can significantly damage the heart muscle, reducing its ability to pump blood effectively.

The most common symptoms of ischemic heart disease include: neck or jaw pain, arm pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, means that the force exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries is greater than usual.

This disorder usually has no specific symptoms, but it can lead to serious health conditions such as stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and kidney failure.

Myocarditis

Inflammation of the heart muscle is known as myocarditis , which causes a serious disorder in the heart’s electrical system. Thus, the ability to pump blood and produce rapid heart rates is diminished.

Severe myocarditis notably weakens the heart as the other organs do not receive the blood they need to function properly. Thus, clots can form in the heart and lead to a heart attack or stroke.

The most common symptoms of myocarditis are: chest pain, arrhythmia, shortness of breath, fluid retention, fatigue, headache, and fever .

Scleroderma

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease in which changes occur in the skin, as well as in the blood vessels, muscles, and different internal organs . It is characterized by an abnormal growth of connective tissue, which can lead to swelling and inflammation in the muscles and joints.

The symptoms of this disorder are the following: thick and tight skin, red spots that are generally concentrated on the hands and face, thick and tight skin on the fingers, and inflammation of the esophagus.

Anemia

Anemia is a disease characterized by a lack of enough red blood cells , which are responsible for transporting oxygen to the body’s tissues. Anemia can present itself in many, many different ways; there are patients in whom it occurs in a mild and punctual way, while there are others who suffer from chronic anemia of prolonged mnaera.

Symptoms of anemia are as follows: fatigue, weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, and frequent and severe headache.

Heart attack

During a heart attack, such as a myocardial infarction , the flow of blood to a certain area of ​​the heart muscle stops completely. Thus, if this situation is prolonged in time, the heart can be damaged.

Symptoms of cardiomegaly

The symptoms of this disease vary considerably between some patients and others; It depends on the cause, as well as the type of enlarged heart that they present.

It is common for a heart that is larger than usual to not cause any symptoms. When these occur, they include: shortness of breath, arrhythmia, swelling in both the legs and ankles from fluid build-up, fatigue, and dizziness.

If cardiomegaly is not properly treated, other more serious symptoms may occur: chest pain, serious problems catching your breath when performing any type of physical activity, pain in the extremities and jaw, and even fainting .

Cardiomegaly is an extremely complex disease in terms of symptoms. There are patients who never get to present some, while there are others who suffer small signs that remain stable over time. And finally, certain patients with cardiomegaly have signs that worsen over time.

Risk factor’s

There are a series of risk factors in relation to cardiomegaly that are interesting to know.

• Family history of heart disease: Those patients who have a family member with a certain heart problem, such as cardiomyopathy, have a higher risk of developing an enlarged heart.
• Sedentary lifestyle: numerous studies have highlighted that a sedentary lifestyle, with hardly any type of physical exercise, considerably increases the chances of suffering from some type of heart problem, such as cardiomegaly.
• Congenital heart disease: Those who are born with a condition that affects the structures of the heart muscle in some way are also at higher risk of having an enlarged heart.

Diagnosis

Given the symptoms explained in previous sections, it is important to see a doctor relatively urgently to establish a diagnosis and appropriate treatment for it. Once the patient’s history has been established based on his state of health, as well as the symptoms he presents, if there is suspicion of cardiomegaly, the doctor requests a series of tests.

One of them is the electrocardiogram , by means of which it can be determined whether or not there is some type of alteration in the heart; In addition, it helps to measure the size of the heart and to know how it works. And also a chest X-ray; in the case of older people, this test can give false positives in relation to cardiomegaly.

Treatment of cardiomegaly

The most indicated treatment for this disease depends largely on the causes that have led to the enlarged heart.

If it is due to valve disease, in the vast majority of cases surgery is used to replace the affected valve. If the enlarged heart is due to hypertension, the most appropriate treatment is the administration of diuretics or beta-blockers. In the case of arrhythmias , it is sometimes necessary to implant a device such as the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, which regulates the heartbeat.

Conclution

As we have pointed out, the heart is the most important organ in the human body . Thus, it is important to take care of it carefully so that it does not present any type of inconvenience and / or complication. Leading a healthy lifestyle, with a correct diet and the practice of physical exercise frequently, are matters of great importance.