What is cardiomyopathy
Myopathy means weakness of muscles, if this weakness occurs in heart muscles it is called as cardiomyopathy. Mostly it goes side by side with aging, but there are certain factors which can initiate or worsen the condition.
There are certain early signs of cardiomyopathy which can give an early clue to prevent further complications. Some common early signs include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath during exertion
- Lightheadedness
- Palpitations
If you have such signs, you should have an analysis of your cardiac strength. ETT (exercise tolerance test) may be a good tool of judging it. Cardiomyopathy may cause certain further health issues:
- Breathlessness may cause hypoxia (low oxygen levels), that can further damage different organs like brain.
- Hypoxia and poor perfusion of blood keeps the body in the state of fatigue, which causes physical incapabilities.
- Edema (accumulation of fluids) causes swelling in feet, if it happens in thoracic cavity it causes breathlessness. In case of edema one should avoid sodium and excess fluids.
To prevent cardiomyopathy, one should maintain healthy lifestyle include physical exercise, managing stress, avoiding smoking and alcohol, managing blood pressure, glucose levels and cholesterol.
