SERVICES & PROCEDURES
CARDIOMYOPATHY
OVERVIEW
Cardiomyopathy is a condition of the heart muscle, which makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. This is very serious as this may lead to heart failure. The main types of cardiomyopathy are dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Due to the weakening of your heart muscle, it is unable to pump blood to the rest of the body as well as it should. This might lead to irregular heartbeat, heart failure, heart valve problems and other complications.
Cardiomyopathy usually manifests itself in different types: dilated where the heart muscle is too weak to pump blood efficiently, hypertrophic where the heart walls thicken to prevent blood from pumping through to the heart. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) where fat and extra fibrous tissue replace the muscle of the right ventricle and restrictive where the ventricles stiffen and will not relax enough to fill up with blood.
There might not be any appearance of symptoms in the early stages of cardiomyopathy, but as the condition progresses, you might experience:
- Breathlessness with exertion or even at rest
- Swollen legs, ankles and feet
- Feeling bloated because of fluid filling up in the abdomen
- Fatigue
- Heartbeat that feels rapid pounding or fluttering
- Chest discomfort or pressure
- Dizziness, light-headedness and fainting
Upon visiting Dr Nicker to evaluate your symptoms, he will conduct a physical exam and inquire about your medical history as well as that of your family. He will also perform tests such as chest X-ray, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, treadmill stress test, cardiac MRI, cardiac CT scan, blood tests and genetic testing or screening.
Unfortunately, cardiomyopathy cannot be cured, but it can be managed in different ways. These ways include heart-healthy lifestyle changes, medications, surgically implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators and a heart transplant (which is considered as a last resort).