Cardiomyopathy

Within the UK many organisations have been set up to help people suffering from critical illnesses. There has been an organisation which has been set up to help those suffering or suffered from cardiomyopathy. There are a few types of cardiomyopathy such as Hypertrophic, Dilated, Arrhythmogenic right ventricular and Restrictive cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart but the various types of cardiomyopathy can lead to various symptoms or treatment needed but in some cases it can cause sudden death so investigations need to be undergone as soon as any symptoms occur.

Each type of cardiomyopathy is different to the other for example Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is where the walls of the heart are thicker than normal and therefore become stiff and it increasingly difficult to pump blood around the body. There is no reason found why this occurs and is most often considered hereditary and most likely to first develop as a young child or even at birth. It can lead to someone becoming very faint and dizzy as the blood is not circulating enough so oxygen is not getting around the body quick enough, they may also have slight problems with their breathing and start to have palpitations.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is slightly different it is similar to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as the blood is not pumped as well round the body as normal but it is due to the heart becoming enlarged and therefore weakened. This is possible the most common type of cardiomyopathy suffered in the UK. A person would still feel dizzy and tired but could also notice that their legs are retaining fluid, for example at the end of the day it may be that your feet look swollen compared to normal. If the illness is getting worse this may be noticeable if you find it hard to breathe. The more exercise you do if you were on a walk for example you may have shorter breaths than normal.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy would most likely occur in younger adults and can be passed down through the generations, it has been said that about thirty percent of the people who suffer such a disease is likely to be hereditary. Tests can be carried out to determine such a disease, as the disease is progressive the treatment carried out after assessment will then depend on the diagnosis made. Some patients may have to take beta blockers, others may require implantable cardioverter defibrilator. There is another option called ablation, which has a high success rate first time however there is a chance of reoccurance which could cause sudden death.

Finally Restrictive cardiomyopathy is probably the least common of the different types of cardiomyopathy however again like some of the others it reduces the blood flow and is most likely to lead to a heart transplant. A pacemaker may be fitted to patients suffering however the disease can be fairly progressive. A biopsy may be needed to confirm the exact diagnosis and what may have caused the condition to occur.