Cardiomyopathy is a disease caused by abnormalities in the heart muscle. Cardiomyopathy will cause a reduced ability of the heart to pump blood. Symptoms of cardiomyopathy can vary, ranging from easy fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, to chest pain.
The cause of cardiomyopathy is often not known with certainty. However, this condition can be related to certain genetic disorders or diseases. The disease that often triggers cardiomyopathy in adults is chronic hypertension, which is high blood pressure that has been going on for a long time.
Causes of Cardiomyopathy
Based on the cause, cardiomyopathy or weak heart is divided into 4 types, namely:
Dilated cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy It is the most common type of cardiomyopathy. This condition occurs because the left ventricle of the heart enlarges and widens, so that part of the heart cannot pump blood throughout the body optimally. This type of heart abnormality can occur in pregnant women or after delivery (peripartum cardiomyopathy).
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy It is caused by abnormal thickening of the walls and muscles of the heart. This abnormal thickening often occurs in the walls of the left ventricle of the heart. Thickened heart walls make it harder for the heart to pump blood normally.
Restrictive cardiomyopathy
Restrictive cardiomyopathy This occurs when the heart muscle becomes stiff and inelastic. This condition results in the heart not being able to expand and accommodate blood properly, resulting in obstruction of blood flow to the heart.
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
This cardiomyopathy occurs due to scar tissue in the muscle of the right ventricle of the heart. This condition can cause the heart rate to become irregular. This type of cardiomyopathy is thought to be caused by a genetic disorder.
Cardiomyopathy Risk Factors
There are several things that can increase the risk of cardiomyopathy, namely:
- Suffering from chronic hypertension
- Have a family history of cardiomyopathy
- Suffering from thyroid disease or diabetes
- Have had a heart attack, coronary heart disease, or infection of the heart
- Experiencing obesity
- Experiencing vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Have a habit of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
- Drug abuse, such as cocaine, amphetamines, and anabolic steroids
- Have a history of chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- Have a history of hemochromatosis, amyloidosis, or sarcoidosis
Symptoms of Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy at first rarely causes symptoms. Symptoms will appear and develop along with a decrease in the performance of the heart in pumping blood. Some of the symptoms that can appear are:
- Shortness of breath, especially after strenuous physical activity
- Swollen limbs (leg edema)
- Easily tired and tired
- Chest pain
- Dizzy
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- Dizzy vision
- Heart palpitations (palpitations)
- Cough especially when sleeping on your back
When to go to the doctor
Immediately consult a doctor if you feel the symptoms mentioned above. Go to the doctor immediately if you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, headache, or want to pass out.
If you have a condition that can increase your risk of developing cardiomyopathy, such as hypertension, check with your doctor regularly to prevent cardiomyopathy.
Diagnosis of Cardiomyopathy
To diagnose cardiomyopathy, the doctor will ask about the symptoms experienced as well as the patient's and family's medical history. After that, the doctor will perform a physical examination, including an examination of the chest wall.
To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will perform several follow-up examinations below:
- Electrocardiogram (ECG), to detect the electrical activity of the heart and assess the presence or absence of heart rhythm abnormalities
- Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), to examine the structure and function of the heart, including assessing the condition of the heart valves
- Treadmill stress test, to monitor the heart rhythm when the body is under stress due to strenuous physical activity
- A scan with a chest X-ray, CT Scan, or MRI, to see the condition of the heart, including the presence or absence of an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly)
In addition, patients can undergo blood tests to check the function of the liver, kidneys, thyroid gland, and to measure iron levels in the blood. Patients can also undergo genetic testing if family members have a history of cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy Treatment
Treatment of cardiomyopathy depends on the symptoms as well as the severity of the patient's condition. The focus of treatment for this disease is to relieve symptoms and prevent complications.
Patients with mild cardiomyopathy who have not experienced any symptoms are recommended to adopt a healthy lifestyle, such as:
- Maintain ideal body weight
- Eat nutritious food
- Reduce drinking coffee or caffeinated drinks
- Quit smoking
- Manage stress well
- Managing bedtime and rest
- Exercise regularly
- Limiting consumption of alcoholic beverages
If cardiomyopathy is already causing symptoms, the doctor can give the patient several types of drugs below:
- Antiarrhythmic drugs, to regulate the heartbeat and prevent arrhythmias
- Antihypertensive drugs, to maintain and manage blood pressure
- Anticoagulants or blood-thinning medications, to prevent blood clots from forming that can worsen cardiomyopathy
- Aldosterone inhibitor drugs, to balance mineral levels in the body so that muscle and nerve tissue in the heart can work properly
- Diuretic drugs, to reduce fluid buildup from the body
If medication is not able to relieve symptoms of cardiomyopathy that is too severe, the patient can undergo heart surgery. Types of surgery performed include:
pacemaker
This method is done by placing a device under the skin of the chest or abdomen that functions to conduct electrical impulses or flow to control the arrhythmia.
Myectomy Surgery
Myectomy surgery is done by removing some of the abnormal heart muscle tissue. This is so that the heart can pump blood normally. Myectomy surgery is performed on patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is very bad.
Heart transplant
This procedure is the last treatment option when all treatment procedures are ineffective for treating cardiomyopathy. Heart transplantation is also a treatment option in end-stage heart failure. The heart of a patient undergoing a transplant will be replaced with a healthy heart from a donor.
Complications of Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy can lead to serious complications if not diagnosed and treated properly. Some of the complications that can arise are:
- Heart failure
- Blood clotting
- Heart valve disorders
- Sudden cardiac arrest
Cardiomyopathy Prevention
If the cause is genetic, cardiomyopathy cannot be prevented. However, in general, the risk of cardiomyopathy and other heart diseases can be lowered by adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as:
- Lose weight if you are obese
- Doing regular exercise
- Stop smoking habit
- Reduce consumption of alcoholic beverages
- Adequate sleep and rest
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet
- Manage stress well
- Have regular check-ups to control diseases that can increase the risk of cardiomyopathy, such as hypertension, diabetes, or thyroid disease
Inform your doctor if you have a family history of cardiomyopathy, so that the doctor can monitor and provide early treatment if you experience it. That way, your cardiomyopathy doesn't get worse and cause complications.