This is more common in developing countries than in the United States and other developed nations. Inflammation In a rare condition called myocarditis, the heart muscle becomes swollen or inflamed because of an infection by a virus, less often, by bacteria, or by another infective process. You may not feel any symptoms at all. You may have an achy feeling in your chest and feel tired like you have a bad cold or the flu. Usually, a mild case of myocarditis will go away without any lasting damage.
In fact, you may not even know you have it. Severe cases are often not diagnosed until you have the symptoms of heart failure. Even a severe case may go away without notice, but these severe cases usually cause ongoing heart muscle damage that cannot be reversed. Pregnancy and childbirth In rare cases, women may develop heart muscle disease late in pregnancy or during the first few months after childbirth.
This is called peripartum cardiomyopathy. Researchers do not know why this happens. They do know that if the woman gets over the disease and becomes pregnant again, she is again at risk for developing the condition. Also, in the United States, African American women develop peripartum cardiomyopathy more often than women of other races do.
Heredity Although scientists do not know if there is a gene that causes people to develop dilated cardiomyopathy, many think that genetics plays a role. Dilated cardiomyopathy also can lead to heart valve problems , arrhythmias irregular heartbeats and blood clots in the heart. Often, cause of dilated cardiomyopathy isn't known.
Up to one-third of the people of those who have it inherit it from their parents. Department of Health and Human Services link opens in new window. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers.
See our editorial policies and staff. Cardiomyopathy in Adults. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that usually starts in your heart's main pumping chamber left ventricle. The ventricle stretches and thins dilates and can't pump blood as well as a healthy heart can. Over time, both ventricles may be affected. The term "cardiomyopathy" refers to diseases that affect the heart muscle itself.
Dilated cardiomyopathy might not cause symptoms, but for some people it can be life-threatening. It's a common cause of heart failure. Dilated cardiomyopathy can also lead to irregular heartbeats arrhythmias , blood clots or sudden death.
Some people with dilated cardiomyopathy don't have any signs or symptoms in the early stages of the disease. If you are short of breath or have other symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy, see your doctor as soon as possible. Call or your local emergency number if you have chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes or have severe difficulty breathing. If a family member has dilated cardiomyopathy, talk to your doctor. Early detection using genetic testing may benefit people with inherited forms of dilated cardiomyopathy who have no apparent signs or symptoms.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes weakened and enlarged. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough blood to the rest of the body. There are many types of cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common form, but it may be the result of different underlying conditions. Some health care providers use the term to indicate a specific condition, called idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. There is no known cause for this type of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Symptoms of heart failure are most common. They most often develop slowly over time. However, sometimes symptoms start very suddenly and may be severe. Heart enlargement or other problems with the structure and function of the heart such as weak squeezing may show up on these tests.
They may also help diagnose the exact cause of the problem:. Heart biopsy , in which a small piece of heart muscle is removed, may be needed depending on the cause.
However, this is rarely done. Most people who have heart failure need to take medicines.
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