Enlarged Heart

An enlarged heart can be caused by an infection, high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias, conditions involving the heart valves, and even stress. Other causes that are not related to cardiac disease can be pregnancy, thyroid conditions, hemochromatosis, and amyloidosis.

The symptoms for this condition may vary. There are some people who do not present any symptoms whatsoever, but there are also some people that manifest a few signs. Enlarged heart symptoms are actually very nonspecific. They are so general that they can be mistaken as symptoms of another condition. Examples of those symptoms would be the following:

*  Difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath
*  Dizziness
*  Cough
*  Chest Pain
*  Abnormal heart rhythms
*  Edema
*  Easy fatigueability

An enlarged heart can be caused by an infection, high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias, conditions involving the heart valves, and even stress. Other causes that are not related to cardiac disease can be pregnancy, thyroid conditions, hemochromatosis, and amyloidosis.

A range of causes
*  Coronary artery disease – fatty deposits or plaques build up inside one or more of the coronary arteries. This constant silting is called atherosclerosis and results in narrowing of the artery. This reduces the oxygen supply, which is the fuel for the pump.
*  High blood pressure – blood pumps with more force than usual through the arteries, which puts strain on the heart. Causes of high blood pressure include obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
*  Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy – disease of the heart muscle, the cause of which is unknown. Enlarged or ‘dilated’ heart is one of the most common types of cardiomyopathy. Some of the symptoms include chest pain and fainting spells.
*  Myocarditis – an infection of the heart that is generally caused by a virus. A person may have a viral illness first and later have symptoms of congestive heart failure.
*  Heart valve disease –A  faulty mitral valve allows blood to flow backwards, which means the affected heart chamber has to contract with more force than usual.
*   Cardiac ischaemia – reduced blood flow to the heart. This condition can cause heart pain.
*  Previous heart attack – a weakened heart muscle may enlarge in order to keep up with the demands of pumping blood around the body.
*  Thyroid disease – the thyroid gland regulates many metabolic functions. Untreated, a thyroid condition can lead to high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeat and enlargement of the heart.
*  Obesity – carrying too much body fat is a risk factor for high blood pressure, which in turn can cause the heart to enlarge.
*  Lack of exercise – leading a sedentary lifestyle is a known risk factor for a range of conditions, including coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.

Health Conditions