What is an enlarged heart

Significant enlargement of the heart is called cardiomegaly. Increased can be one camera or all four. In most cases, cardiomegaly is not an independent disease, but a manifestation, a symptom of other diseases.

The causes of cardiomegaly

A rare congenital cardiomegaly due to hereditary factors, when this disease the prognosis is poor. Secondary acquired cardiomegaly occurs due to various diseases of the cardiovascular system, other systems and organs. The most frequently enlargement of the heart observed in ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, heart disease, emphysema.

To cardiomegaly can also cause inflammation of the heart muscle. The most common of them is rheumatic heart disease, which develops as a complication of tonsillitis or scarlet fever.

Increased heart size can be caused by alcohol intoxication, overdose of medicines. In addition, cardiomegaly may develop after acute pericarditis. This disease causes a buildup of fluid in the pericardium that increases the size of the heart muscle.

Intense exercise in athletes require the heart to work more actively, as a result of the heart muscle increases, this is known as "athlete's heart".

Diagnosis and symptoms

The symptoms of cardiomegaly are not specific. The main symptoms is pain in the heart area, shortness of breath, tachycardia, fatigue, peripheral edema. Enlarged heart for a long time can occur without symptoms, therefore, cardiomegaly is often detected by chance.

The doctor may suspect it when detecting a characteristic heart murmur and specific signs on the ECG. Changing the size of the heart is clearly visible on x-ray, but the most complete information gives ultrasound of the heart.

Prevention and treatment of cardiomegaly

Because cardiomegaly is a symptom of various diseases, its treatment is reduced to treatment of the underlying disease. Excluded possible risk factors, which provoke high blood pressure, avoiding alcohol and Smoking, adherence to low fat, required moderate exercise.

Modern means to reduce the pressure improves blood flow to the heart muscle, facilitating the return of the heart to its original size. When running hypertension prescribers from the group of ACE inhibitors — they reduce pressure and optimize cardiac function.

When Cardito is long and complicated treatment, antibacterial therapy, prevention is very important — hardening to strengthen the immune system.

Proper and timely treatment can reduce the risk of such serious complications as angina or myocardial infarction. If medical therapy fails, using surgery - ventricular myotomy.