Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle. The heart muscle gets bigger, thick, or stiff. This can weaken the heart and make it hard for the heart to pump blood.
There are 3 main types of cardiomyopathy:
The heart muscle may be weakened by many things, such as:
Often what causes the heart to get bigger and weaker is not known.
Cardiomyopathy may not cause symptoms. If it does, some possible symptoms are:
Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms, examine you, and listen to your heart. You may have:
You may also need to wear a Holter monitor. A Holter monitor is used to record your heart rhythm for at least 24 hours.
Your provider may suggest testing other members of your family if he or she thinks that you may have an inherited form of cardiomyopathy.
Treatment depends on the type of cardiomyopathy you have and what caused it. Medicines that may be prescribed include:
Procedures that may be used to treat cardiomyopathy include:
The effects of cardiomyopathy depend on what has caused it. If it is caused by coronary artery disease, you are likely to have a weakened heart muscle for the rest of your life, but medicine may help the heart muscle function better. Other types of cardiomyopathy may get better over weeks to months, depending on the cause.