Image : Shutterstock/ JFs Pics Factory

Here’s a frightening scenario: What if there were something seriously wrong with your body. Something that could kill you at any moment, and you had no idea? It’s something that would make anyone nervous. And for people with dilated cardiomyopathy, it’s a terrifying reality.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition that affects the heart, and though it does cause certain symptoms, it’s difficult to detect. And that means that almost anyone could be affected by it and not know. So what exactly is it? How do you detect it? And what can you do to treat it?

What Is Dilated Cardiomyopathy?

Your heart is a muscle, the most important muscle in the body. And it’s divided up into four sections composed of two atriums and to ventricles. These chambers move blood through the heart and up the aorta where it is distributed around the body. This blood delivers oxygen to your cells and to your brain. And without this oxygen going to the brain, you would quickly lose consciousness and the cells in your brain would begin to die.

This is what makes dilated cardiomyopathy so dangerous. Essentially, it’s a condition where the heart’s largest pumping chamber, the left ventricle, becomes enlarged. This expansion makes it weaker, which means it can’t push enough blood out to keep your organs functioning.

We aren’t entirely sure what causes dilated cardiomyopathy, but we know that there is probably a genetic component since many people with the condition also have family members who suffer from it. In addition, there are a few things that are known to contribute. High blood pressure, diabetes, and viral infections of the lining of the heart all make you more likely to develop dilated cardiomyopathy.

Finally, drug abuse can weaken and enlarge the heart. So alcoholism or the use of amphetamines and cocaine can lead to enlarged ventricles. But even if your ventricles start to expand, it can be hard to tell if you have dilated cardiomyopathy since the symptoms can be very difficult to detect.

How Do You Know You Have It?

At first, someone with dilated cardiomyopathy may show no symptoms. As the condition gets worse, you’ll begin to notice certain signs. These symptoms are things like fatigue and shortness of breath as your heart struggles to get enough oxygen around your body to keep things running smoothly. Gradually, your legs might start to swell up and the lack of oxygen might even lead to fainting spells.

Finally, one of the most noticeable signs is frequent heart palpitations as your weakened heart strives to keep the blood flowing and convulses rapidly. This leads to the kind of pain or pressure in the chest you would associate with a heart attack.

If you experience any of these symptoms, especially shortness of breath and chest pains, you should see a doctor immediately. These are serious signs that something is wrong with your heart. And if it’s not dilated cardiomyopathy, it could easily be a coming heart attack. The best course of action is to get treatment as soon as possible.

How Do You Treat It?

There are a few ways to treat dilated cardiomyopathy. The first line of defense is drugs. Doctors can prescribe things like beta blockers or even aspirin. Beta blockers help slow down your heart rate and reduce blood pressure which helps to prevent further damage to the heart. And aspirin thins the blood to help prevent dangerous blood clots from forming.

But there is also a surgical option if your condition is advanced enough. Your doctors may choose to implant a device in your chest called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. These devices essentially monitor the rhythm of your heart and give it a shock when it senses that it is beating too quickly. This shock resets your heart so that it begins to beat normally. They are usually implanted in people who have a weak heart and can be life-saving.

And you can also have a device implanted that actually helps your heart pump blood. These devices work by artificially compressing the ventricles and essentially filling in for the weakened muscle. But getting this type of device installed in your abdomen is a very invasive procedure and can be fairly dangerous, which is why it’s not the first choice for dealing with the condition.

Finally, if all else fails, a heart transplant may be necessary.

The important thing is to get treatment as soon as you see any of the signs since halting the damage before it becomes too severe is the best way to treat dilated cardiomyopathy. But let us know, do you have dilated cardiomyopathy? How did you see the signs? What treatment did you get? Tell us in the comments.