What does a slightly enlarged heart mean?
An enlarged heart may be the result of a short-term stress on the body, such as pregnancy, or a medical condition, such as the weakening of the heart muscle, coronary artery disease, heart valve problems or abnormal heart rhythms.
Is mild heart enlargement normal?
Mild cardiomegaly isn’t considered as serious as moderate or severe cardiomegaly. But for all forms of cardiomegaly, the focus should be on the underlying condition. Some mild forms are temporary, such as those caused by drug and alcohol abuse.
How serious is thickening of the heart?
The thickened heart muscle can eventually become too stiff to effectively fill the heart with blood. As a result, your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. Sudden cardiac death. Rarely, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can cause heart-related sudden death in people of all ages.
What are the signs of heart enlargement?
Symptoms of an enlarged heart
- breathing problems.
- shortness of breath.
- dizziness.
- irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- heart palpitations.
- fluid retention.
Is a slightly enlarged heart serious?
An enlarged heart can signal a serious heart problem or other health problem. It often means your heart has to work harder than normal to pump blood. One type of heart disease that can cause an enlarged heart is cardiomyopathy. This is a disease of the heart muscle.
What is the treatment for thickening of the heart?
Alcohol septal ablation (nonsurgical procedure) – In this procedure, ethanol (a type of alcohol) is injected through a tube into the small artery that supplies blood to the area of heart muscle thickened by HCM. The alcohol causes these cells to die. The thickened tissue shrinks to a more normal size.
Is it OK to exercise with an enlarged heart?
Exercise may reduce more than your waist size. It also may help shrink a thickened and enlarged heart. Regular exercise can be at least as beneficial as blood pressure medication when treating an enlarged heart.
Can a EKG detect an enlarged heart?
Electrocardiogram (EKG): An EKG measures the electrical activity of the heart and can detect an enlarged heart as well as determine if a heart is overworked or damaged.
