Cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, can be caused by various health conditions such as cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, pregnancy, and anemia. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, swelling, fatigue, and dizziness. Diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT scans, electrocardiograms, MRIs, and echocardiograms can help diagnose the condition. Medications are available to manage symptoms.
An enlarged heart, also known as cardiomegaly, usually occurs as a symptom of another health condition. Many people don’t realize they have this problem until it’s diagnosed, commonly from an X-ray. Having a chest X-ray for any number of reasons could potentially diagnose an enlarged heart. Once the problem is noticed, doctors typically refer patients for more advanced cardiovascular diagnostic tests. There can be many different causes of an enlarged heart, and some people may have a combination of causes.
Cardiomyopathy is a heart disease that causes the heart muscle to weaken. The disease can cause the muscle to stiffen and thicken, which can affect how well the heart works. As the disease progresses, the heart will have to work harder to pump blood around the body. An enlarged heart can be the result of the heart working overtime to compensate for the weakened muscle. In addition to the heart muscle, diseases affecting the heart valves can cause the heart to enlarge.
An arrhythmia is a condition in which the heart beats in an irregular rhythm. Having an irregular heart rhythm usually means your heart is beating too fast or too slow. The abnormal rhythm of the beat can prevent the heart from functioning normally. This is usually due to the blood not being able to circulate as it should. For this reason, an enlarged heart can occur due to the additional stress placed on the organ by an arrhythmia.
High blood pressure, also known as high blood pressure, is one of the most common causes of an enlarged heart. High blood pressure can be dangerous for a variety of reasons. It can lead to heart attacks and strokes and cause the heart to enlarge. This is generally due to the extra work the condition places on the heart. There can also be high blood pressure in the arteries that run from the heart to the lungs, and this condition, known as pulmonary hypertension, can also cause the heart to enlarge.
There may be non-heart-related causes of an enlarged heart. An overactive or underactive thyroid can cause this problem. Pregnancy can be another cause not related to the heart. The heart will need to pump much more blood than normal while a woman is pregnant, and this can create a stressful environment for the heart. Additionally, anemia, which occurs when a person doesn’t produce an adequate amount of red blood cells, is another condition that can cause an enlarged heart.
Enlarged heart symptoms can include shortness of breath, trouble breathing, swelling, fatigue, dizziness, and tiredness. However, some people with this condition may not have any symptoms at all. If a chest X-ray shows a larger-than-normal heart, the patient may be referred for diagnostic tests which may include a cardiac computed tomography (CT), electrocardiogram, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or echocardiogram. Many people may have a combination of these tests. For a person with an enlarged heart, a number of medications are available to ease the symptoms and help the person live a normal, productive life.
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