These tests may include:. This test for diagnosing and monitoring an enlarged heart uses sound waves to produce a video image of your heart. With this test, the four chambers of the heart can be evaluated. Your doctor can use the results to see how efficiently your heart is pumping, determine which chambers of your heart are enlarged, look at your heart valves, look for evidence of previous heart attacks and determine if you have congenital heart disease.
Stress test. A stress test, also called an exercise stress test, provides information about how well your heart works during physical activity. An exercise stress test usually involves walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike while your heart rhythm, blood pressure and breathing are monitored. During a cardiac CT scan, you lie on a table inside a doughnut-shaped machine. An X-ray tube inside the machine rotates around your body and collects images of your heart and chest.
In a cardiac MRI , you lie on a table inside a long tubelike machine that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce signals that create images of your heart. Cardiac catheterization and biopsy. In this procedure, a thin tube catheter is inserted in your groin and threaded through your blood vessels to your heart, where the doctor takes a small sample biopsy of your heart to be tested.
Pressure within the chambers of your heart can be measured to see how forcefully blood pumps through your heart. Pictures of the arteries of the heart can be taken during the procedure coronary angiogram to check for a blockage.
If cardiomyopathy or another type of heart condition is to blame for your enlarged heart, your doctor may recommend medications. These may include:. If medications aren't enough to treat your enlarged heart, medical procedures or surgery may be necessary. Medical devices to regulate your heartbeat.
For a certain type of enlarged heart dilated cardiomyopathy , a pacemaker that coordinates the contractions between the left and right ventricles may be necessary. In some people, an enlarged heart causes no signs or symptoms. Others may have these signs and symptoms:. An enlarged heart is easier to treat when it's detected early, so talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your heart. Seek emergency medical care if you have any of these signs and symptoms, which may mean you're having a heart attack:.
If you have new signs or symptoms that might be related to your heart, make an appointment to see your doctor. An enlarged heart can be caused by conditions that cause your heart to pump harder than usual or that damage your heart muscle. Sometimes the heart gets larger and becomes weak for unknown reasons. This is known as idiopathic cardiomegaly. A heart condition you're born with congenital , damage from a heart attack or an abnormal heartbeat arrhythmia can cause your heart to enlarge.
Other conditions associated with an enlarged heart include:. High blood pressure. Your heart may have to pump harder to deliver blood to the rest of your body, enlarging and thickening the muscle. High blood pressure can cause the left ventricle to enlarge, causing the heart muscle eventually to weaken. High blood pressure may also enlarge the upper chambers of your heart. You may be at increased risk of developing an enlarged heart if you have any of the following risk factors:.
The risk of complications from an enlarged heart depends on the part of the heart that is enlarged and the cause. Tell your doctor if you have a family history of conditions that can cause an enlarged heart, such as cardiomyopathy. This includes:. You may not be able to prevent conditions that occur before birth. Yet you can prevent later damage to your heart that can make it enlarge by:. You should also see your doctor for regular checkups to make sure your heart is healthy.
If you have a heart problem, you might also need to see a cardiologist. Your outlook depends on the underlying cause of your enlarged heart. Following the treatment plan your doctor recommends can help keep your heart healthy and prevent any complications.
Some fats are better for you than others and may even promote good heart health. Know the difference to determine which fats to avoid, and which to…. Discover 28 ways to power up, wind down, and have fun — all in the name of a healthy heart. Work these heart-healthy habits into your lifestyle. Congenital heart disease, also known as congenital heart defect, is a heart abnormality present at birth.
Learn about its symptoms, causes, and…. Experts say there are a number of ways to make it easier to go to bed at a proper time, including when you exercise and when you eat. Left bundle branch block is a condition in which there's slowing along the electrical pathway to your heart's left ventricle. Ejection fraction is a test that's used to determine the percentage of blood that leaves your left ventricle each time your heart beats.
A new study of over 2. Experts say middle-aged people with iron deficiency have a higher risk of heart disease later. You can increase iron levels with diet and supplements. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M. What are the symptoms?
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