Heart enlargement in medicine is defined as hypertrophic heart disease, and consists of an increase in the size of the heart compared to normal parameters. Doctors usually detect it through X-rays, echocardiograms, and electrocardiograms. An enlarged heart, also called cardiomegaly, can indicate other medical conditions. Arrhythmia, shortness of breath, dizziness and cough are some of the symptoms of enlargement. Cardiomyopathy, hypertension and heart valve diseases are some of the diseases that can cause the problem. The enlarged heart can be treated with the prescription of drugs, medical devices or procedures and surgery.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Using Drugs
Step 1. Take the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), as prescribed
If heart muscle weakness has caused cardiomegaly, ACE inhibitors help restore the heart's normal pumping functions. This drug can also lower blood pressure.
Angiotensin receptor blockers, ARBs, may be an alternative to ACE inhibitors for patients who have difficulty tolerating them
Step 2. Treat the scarring of the heart tissues with diuretics
Your doctor may prescribe them to lower the water and sodium levels in your body. This lowers blood pressure and reduces the constriction of the arteries.
Step 3. Lower blood pressure with beta blockers
Depending on your general condition, your doctor may prescribe this specific drug to improve blood pressure and reduce heart rhythm abnormalities.
Other medications, such as digoxin, also help improve the heart's pumping mechanism
Method 2 of 2: Other Treatments and Surgical Options
Step 1. Talk to your doctor about medical devices
In some cases, he may be able to put a defibrillator in your chest to treat some specific types of enlarged heart. The device, the size of a matchbox, helps the heart to maintain its normal rhythm through electric shocks.
Step 2. Consider the hypothesis of heart valve surgery
If the cause of the enlargement is an altered valve, surgery to replace it may be a solution. The surgeon removes the constricted or damaged valve and replaces it with one taken from tissue from a deceased human donor, cow or pig. Artificial valves can be another viable alternative.
Surgery may be needed to repair or replace a leaking valve, also referred to as 'valve regurgitation'. This condition, which can also contribute to an enlarged heart, causes bleeding through the valve
Step 3. Consider a heart transplant as a last resort
It can be the final option to treat the enlargement, if the drugs or devices do not work. If this is the solution for you, your doctor puts you on the waiting list for a heart transplant. This can be risky if you are seriously ill and there is a long wait.
