Heart failure can affect anyone of all ages and may present serious, life-threatening symptoms if not addressed early. Bhupinder Singh MD, a cardiologist, can help you know your symptoms and treat them before they progress. The common symptoms you may have to be quick to identify can include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, nausea, and difficulty concentrating, among others. Depending on your symptoms, the doctor can address different types of heart failure. The following discussion will major on the types of cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
The heart condition develops when your left ventricle enlarges, causing tissue thinness and less pumping force. More blood may remain in your heart, depriving the body of its needs. The condition may advance and eventually lead to heart failure and complications such as arrhythmia, chest pain, blood clots, and stroke. There are no known causes, but a family history of dilated cardiomyopathy may lead to one having the condition. Your doctor may also associate the condition with misuse of alcohol, toxic chemotherapy drugs, congenital heart disease, heart attack, and heart valve disease. You may experience fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, and coughs.
Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
The condition occurs when your ventricular muscles stiffen, therefore, cannot fill with blood. Thus there will be reduced blood flow to the heart, which may lead to heart failure. Some conditions like connective tissue disease and iron overload may easily cause restrictive cardiomyopathy. You will also likely develop the condition after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Restrictive myopathy symptoms may include nausea, chest pains even when resting, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
Hypertrophic Myopathy
The heart condition causes the thickening of heart muscles, stiffness of the left ventricle, changes to the mitral valve, and cellular changes. Thickening of the heart muscle causes a reduced blood flow to the aorta, forcing the ventricles to pump harder. On the other hand, stiff left ventricles may increase pressure in the heart, leading to chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and palpitations. You will likely develop hypertrophic myopathy due to gene factors, high blood pressure, and aging. However, you may continue to live a normal life even with the condition as it may not affect your health, therefore, requiring any medication. Your doctor may recommend not participating in strenuous exercise.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia
The condition may be the rarest form of cardiomyopathy, where fat and fibrous tissue replace your damaged muscles in the right ventricle. The fibrous tissues and fat interfere with your heartbeat signals, and you may develop abnormal heart rhythms. You will likely experience three stages of the condition, which are concealed, electrical and structural stages. The second and third stages are riskier and may lead to sudden cardiac deaths.
You can schedule a visit at Heart and Vascular Care to evaluate your heart and rule out the possibility of any developing heart failure. Heart failure conditions vary in severity and may be life-threatening if not found early. The team will help you through your symptoms till they come up with an accurate diagnosis. Visit the website to schedule your appointment online.
