What is it?
Cardiomyopathy is a condition where the walls of the heart muscles have become overstretched , thickened and/or stiff causing the heart to become less efficient in pumping blood out of the heart to around the body.
This condition tends to be inherited and is not caused by:
- Blocked arteries (as in angina, coronary artery disease)
- Valvular disease (Disease of the heart valves or poor function of the heart valves)
- Inherited heart disease
- This condition can affect children and Adults
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- The heart muscles cells enlarge causing the walls of the muscles to thicken and the chamber in the heart becomes smaller.
- It mainly affects the bottom chamber of the heart – left ventricle.
- The heart becomes less efficient in pumping blood because it can’t hold much blood, the walls can’t relax and stiffen.
- The flow of the blood through the heart is also restricted and can cause a back pressure in the chamber.
- This condition can lead to worsening heart failure and lead to arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation).
- This condition can also put pressure on the heart valves which control the direction of the blood flow in the heart leading to heart valve disease.
- This condition affect children and athletes because it does not always show symptoms.
Myocarditis
- A disease where one has Inflammation of the myocardium (heart muscle).
- Signs and Symptoms include:
- Acute decompensation of heart failure.
- S3 gallop (when cardiologist or medical doctor listen to the heart )
- Jugular venous distention (bulging and stretched vein in the heart)
- Peripheral oedema (water retention particularly ankles)
- Tachycardia (fast heart beat)
- In those with concomitant pericarditis, pericardial friction rub may be observed. Specific findings in special cases are:
- Sarcoid myocarditis: lymphadenopathy, arrhythmias, sarcoid involvement in other organs
- Acute rheumatic fever: associated signs, such as erythema marginatum, polyarthralgia, chorea, subcutaneous nodules (Jones criteria)
- Hypersensitive/eosinophilic myocarditis: pruritic maculopapular rash and history of using offending drug
- Giant cell myocarditis: sustained ventricular tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) in rapidly progressive heart failure.
- Peripartum cardiomyopathy: heart failure developing in the last month of pregnancy or within 5 months following delivery
Cause
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Syndromes
Illicit drugs
Myocarditis
- Viral infections:
- Rickettsial:
- Bacterial causes:
- Spirochetal:
- Fungal:
- Protozoal:
- Helminthic:
- Bites/stings:
- Physical agents:
- Acute rheumatic fever
- Systemic inflammatory disease:
Medication
- Chemotherapeutic drugs: doxorubicin and anthracyclines, streptomycin, cyclophosphamide, interleukin-2, anti-HER-2 receptor antibody/Herceptin
- Antibiotics: penicillin, chloramphenicol, sulfonamides
- Antihypertensive drugs: methyldopa, spironolactone
- Antiseizure drugs: phenytoin, carbamazepine
- Amphetamines, catecholamines
- Chemicals: hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, arsenic, lead, phosphorus, mercury, cobalt
Illicit drugs
Symptoms
- General discomfort (muscle weakness), uneasiness or ill feeling (malaise) and/or fatigue (tiredness)?
- Short of breath and/or breathing difficulties (whether after exercise or not) and/or wheezing?
- Lightheadedness?
- Balance and dizziness problems and/or ‘fainting attacks’?
- Chest pain and/or tight chest and/or pressure on chest and or chest discomfort?
- Rapid heartbeat?
- Heart palpitations and/or irregular heartbeats?
- Coughing when lying down?
- Fluid retention/bloated of abdomen?
- High blood pressure?
- Oedema or swelling of one’s legs and/or ankles and/or feet?
Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:
Medical Emergency Condition
And/or do not wait, please call for an ambulance if have or develop:
This condition can lead to:
A healthcare professional should consider if can’t explain an obvious cause:
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Myocarditis in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
- NHS
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- Medscape
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- Pharmaceutical Journal
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- Healthline
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- Medical News Today
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- WebMD
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- Cleveland Clinic
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- Mayo Clinic
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- Drugs.com
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- National Organisation of Rare Diseases
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- Verywell Health
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- DR Axe
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