Cardiomegaly, popularly known as the big heart, is a serious and difficult-to-treat condition that occurs most often in the elderly, but it can also happen in young adults or children with heart problems.
Due to the growth of the heart, the pumping of blood to the whole body is compromised, which causes intense tiredness and shortness of breath, for example. Despite being a serious disease that can lead to death, cardiomegaly can be treated and is curable mainly when identified at the beginning.
Cardiomegaly symptoms
The enlargement of the heart causes the blood to accumulate inside it, in the veins and in the lungs, leading to the appearance of symptoms, the main ones being:
- Shortness of breath, which worsens over time; Weakness and tiredness when making small efforts; Dizziness and fainting; Heart palpitations; Increased blood pressure; Decreased amount of urine produced per day.
It is important to see a doctor as soon as these symptoms appear, because when left untreated, cardiomegaly can cause heart failure, infarction and sudden death.
How is the treatment
Treatment for cardiomegaly should be done according to the cardiologist's indication, and the use of diuretic medications that control blood pressure and heartbeat, improving the functioning of the heart, may be recommended by the doctor. The remedies commonly used to treat cardiomegaly are Carvedilol, Metoprolol, Bisoprolol, Enalapril, Captopril, Ramipril, Spironolactone and Furosemide.
However, if the use of medication is not enough, it may be necessary to have surgery to redo the structure of the heart or heart transplant. Understand how heart transplantation is done.
Causes and diagnosis of Cardiomegaly
The large heart is usually a consequence of some diseases, such as Chagas disease, systemic arterial hypertension, alteration of the heart valves, heart failure and poor circulation, in addition to being able to happen due to alcoholism and problems in the structure of the heart cells.
The diagnosis of cardiomegaly is made based on the person's clinical history and through exams such as x-rays and electrocardiogram, which identifies the degree of heart failure presented by the heart. In addition, laboratory tests may be ordered to assess the functioning of the heart. Thus, it is important to identify the first signs of heart problems so that proper treatment can be started immediately and complications can be avoided.
Learn to recognize the first signs of heart problems.
