2006-07-12 03:32:35 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Other - Health
Giving.
But seriously, many conditions can cause an enlarged heart, including:
Severe anemia
Excessive iron in the body (hemochromatosis)
Abnormal protein buildup in an organ (amyloidosis)
Coronary artery disease - fatty deposits or plaques build up inside one or more of the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). This constant silting narrows the artery. This reduces the oxygen supply, which is the fuel for the pump.
Cardiac ischaemia - reduced blood flow to the heart. This condition can cause heart pain (angina).
High blood pressure (hypertension) - blood pumps with more force than usual through the arteries, which puts strain on the heart. Causes of high blood pressure include obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy - disease of the heart muscle, the cause of which is unknown. Enlarged or ‘dilated’ heart is one of the most common types of cardiomyopathy. Some of the symptoms include chest pain and fainting spells.
Myocarditis - an infection of the heart that is generally caused by a virus. A person may have a viral illness first and later have symptoms of congestive heart failure.
Heart valve disease - for example, a faulty mitral valve allows blood to flow backwards, which means the affected heart chamber has to contract with more force than usual.
Previous heart attack - a weakened heart muscle may enlarge in order to keep up with the demands of pumping blood around the body.
Thyroid disease - the thyroid gland regulates many metabolic functions. Untreated, a thyroid condition can lead to high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeat and enlargement of the heart.
Obesity - carrying too much body fat is a risk factor for high blood pressure, which in turn can cause the heart to enlarge.
Lack of exercise - leading a sedentary lifestyle is a known risk factor for a range of conditions, including coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.
Old age - as we get older, our arteries lose some of their elasticity. This ‘stiffening’ of the blood vessels causes high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for enlarged heart.
2006-07-12 03:39:28 · answer #1 · answered by victorygirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-05-17 17:12:28 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-09-17 19:37:47 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"An enlarged heart may be caused by a thickening of the heart muscle because of increased workload. (This increased workload can be due to heart valve disease or high blood pressure, for example.) This is called hypertrophy (hi-PER'tro-fe), which refers to enlargement of an organ or tissue due to an increase in cell size."
2006-07-12 03:37:14 · answer #4 · answered by Seikilos 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
treatment for enlarged heart
2016-04-14 03:57:20 · answer #5 · answered by Athens 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋