What is alcoholic cardiomyopathy?
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is a form of heart failure caused by long -term abuse of alcohol. This condition, which is also referred to as expansion cardiomyopathy, can cause the heart of the heart chambers. The heart muscle is also weakened and the rest of the body cannot adequately pump blood.
As soon as the alcohol is consumed by mouth, it absorbs with the stomach and the small intestine and then passes into the liver. In the liver, alcohol is decomposed by enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. In patients who consume excessive alcohol, the liver is unable to process it quickly and accumulates in the bloodstream.
The high level of alcohol in the bloodstream can be toxic to heart cells. Damage to heart muscle or alcoholic cardiomyopathy may occur in a patient with a long -term formula of seven to eight drinks every day. The long -term in this case applies to patients who have heavily drank for five to 10 years.
Because alcohol is only one of the causes of dilatation kaRdiomyopathy, it is important that the doctor makes the correct diagnosis for this disorder. The doctor must take a complete history of patients and ask very specific questions about alcohol use. It is necessary to ask questions that would reveal the amount and frequency of alcohol intake. Many patients who drink strongly can submit the amount of alcohol consumed.
The patient may not have any symptoms in the early stages of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Finally, the patient may notice symptoms of heart failure that include shortness of breath, lung overload and swelling in the feet. If the heart cannot pump blood properly by the body, the patient may experience fatigue and fluid retention.
For the diagnosis of alcoholic cardiomyopathy, several tests can be performed. The doctor can order an X-ray chest, which shows that the heart is enlarged that overload may occur in the lungs. Echocar can also be used to diagnose this disorderA diogram that uses sound waves to display the heart. Heart activity can be measured during an electrocardiogram in which electrodes on the chest record electrical pulses.
The most effective treatment of alcoholic cardiomyopathy is complete abstinence from alcohol. In the early stages of the disease, abstinence can stop the progression of symptoms. Some heart damage can be reversible. If the patient is unable to stop drinking, the doctor may need to identify the rehabilitation program.