About this topic
Cardiomyopathy is a problem with your heart muscle. It can affect people of all ages. The heart muscle becomes bigger, thickened, or stiff. This illness makes it harder for your heart to pump blood. It becomes harder for your heart to carry blood to the rest of your body. This illness can lead to heart failure. There are many kinds of cardiomyopathy: ‚
- The heart becomes weak and large. It cannot pump enough blood. This is dilated cardiomyopathy. This is the most common type of cardiomyopathy.
- The heart becomes thick. This makes it harder for blood to leave the heart. This is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It is a common cause of sudden cardiac death.
- The arteries that give the heart blood become narrow. The heart becomes enlarged and weak. This is ischemic cardiomyopathy.
- The heart muscle becomes stiff. Abnormal heart tissue replaces normal heart tissue. This reduces blood flow in the heart. This is restrictive cardiomyopathy. It is most common in older adults.
- The heart becomes weak during pregnancy or in the first 5 months after birth. This is peripartum cardiomyopathy.
- Sudden weakening of the heart caused by physical or emotion stress. This is stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy may go away on its own, or may not need treatment. Cardiomyopathy may be treated with drugs or surgery. Sometimes, pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are used to treat this illness. Other times, a heart transplant is needed. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Do not smoke or drink beer, wine, and mixed drinks (alcohol).
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Learn the signs of heart failure. They are problems breathing, tiredness, swollen feet and ankles, fast or abnormal heartbeat, and cough.
- Learn how to take your own blood pressure. Your doctor may ask you to take your blood pressure and write it down.
- Ask your doctor if you need to follow a low-salt or low-fat diet.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your condition needs close monitoring. Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- You doctor will tell if you need to see a specialist like a cardiologist or rehab specialist.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Increase the strength of your heart muscle
- Help heart function
- Remove extra water from your body
- Prevent blood clots
- Control your blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol levels
Will physical activity be limited?
You may have to limit your activity. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Heart failure
- Blood clots
- Problems with heart rhythm or valves
- Cardiac arrest or sudden death
When do I need to call the doctor?
- You gain more than 2 pounds in a day
- Feeling tired, weak, or dizzy
- Fainting
- Shortness of breath when sitting, lying down, or doing your normal activities
- Wheezing or cough that does not go away
- Chest pain
- Swelling in the lower area like feet, ankles, or legs
- Very fast, very slow, or irregular heartbeat
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you the signs of heart failure.
- I can tell you what I will do if I gain more than 2 pounds in a day, or feel tired, faint, or short of breath.
Where can I learn more?
American Heart Association ‚
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/Cardiomyopathy/Cardiomyopathy_UCM_444459_SubHomePage.jsp ‚
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute ‚
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cm/ ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚