Cardiomyopathy is a condition involving the heart muscle and how it pumps. There are various types and each have a different cause. It can also occur because of impairment in the heart, usually from a heart attack or an individual has an inherited tendency to develop one.
What are the types?
Some of the common types of cardiomyopathy include:
- Restrictive – the heart muscle becomes rigid or stiff
- Dilated – the heart chambers enlarge and weaken.
The treatment usually depends on the form of cardiomyopathy and the form of heart issues that develop as an outcome of the alterations in the heart muscle. - Hypertrophic – the heart muscle thickens and could not properly relax.
There are other forms of cardiomyopathy that can be categorized on what causes the heart muscle problem.
The inflammation of the heart muscle can lead to inflammatory cardiomyopathy. When it comes to an issue with the heart rhythm, it can lead to tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. Additionally, a stressful event can lead to stress cardiomyopathy where the heart chamber changes shape and could not pump blood normally.
What happens if I have cardiomyopathy?
In some forms of cardiomyopathy, the changes in the heart muscle can result to the development of other heart issues such as heart failure.
It is important to note that heart failure involves inadequate pumping of blood normally. Once the heart could not pump blood properly, the entire body might not receive enough oxygen, blood or essential nutrients. Remember that the condition can also result to other heart issues such as atrial fibrillation which causes an erratic heartbeat.
Management
The treatment usually depends on the form of cardiomyopathy and the form of heart issues that develop as an outcome of the alterations in the heart muscle. The treatment includes medications and healthy lifestyle modifications.