Treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy

Treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy should be guided by a cardiologist, as it varies according to the patient's symptoms, such as excessive tiredness or difficulty breathing, for example.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease that causes excessive dilation of the heart muscle, making it difficult to pump blood throughout the body and is generally more common in men between 20 and 60 years of age, although it can appear at any age.

Treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy should be started as soon as possible to avoid complications such as pulmonary embolism or cardiac arrest, for example. Thus, treatment can be done with:

High blood pressure medications, such as Captopril or Amlodipino: lowering blood pressure and facilitating the work of the heart; Arrhythmia remedies, such as Atenolol or Bisoprolol: decrease the heart rate, reducing blood pressure, facilitating the pumping of blood through the heart and preventing the appearance of arrhythmias; Diuretics, such as Furosemide or Indapamide: remove excess fluids from the body, preventing them from accumulating in the veins and hampering the heartbeat. In addition, they relieve swelling in the legs and feet caused by the disease; Digoxin: is a medication used to strengthen the heart muscle, facilitating contractions and allowing more efficient blood pumping; Anticoagulant remedies, such as Warfarin or Aspirin: decrease the viscosity of the blood, facilitating its pumping and preventing the appearance of clots that can cause embolisms or strokes, for example.

In addition, during the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy, it is important to follow the doctor's instructions on physical exercise and eat a balanced diet low in fat, sugar or salt. See also some foods that you can include in your diet at: Foods that are good for the heart.

In the most severe cases, where treatment is not done properly or the disease is diagnosed later, the doctor may also recommend surgery to place a pacemaker in the heart or even have a heart transplant.

Causes of dilated cardiomyopathy

The cause of dilated cardiomyopathy, usually, cannot be identified, being called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. However, some causes that lead to the onset of the disease include heart infections, excessive use of alcohol or drugs, high blood pressure, diabetes or prolonged exposure to heavy metals like lead, mercury or cobalt.

In addition, dilated cardiomyopathy can also appear due to genetic problems and, therefore, it is more common in patients with a family history of the disease, especially when it affects either parent.

Symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy

The main symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy include:

Constant excessive tiredness; Difficulty breathing, especially when sleeping; Swelling in the legs and feet; Difficulty in doing physical exercise; Excessive swelling of the belly.

When dilated cardiomyopathy is suspected, it is recommended to consult a cardiologist to perform diagnostic tests, such as electrocardiogram, blood tests or chest X-ray, identify the disease and start appropriate treatment.