Cardiomyopathy is a condition that affects your heart.  It can have many causes.  It may be caused by a coronary artery disease (blocked arteries), high blood pressure, genetic tendencies, infections, certain medicines, diabetes, thyroid disorders, or drinking too much alcohol.  Sometimes it can happen during the last trimester of pregnancy or the first few months after having a baby, but that is a rare cause.  Literally cardiomyopathy means some pathology involving the cardiac muscle of the heart. 

 Symptoms may be the same as for heart failure. These can include shortness of breath, low energy, coughing, trouble breathing while lying down, edema (swelling of the legs or abdomen), chest pain, and passing out, otherwise known as syncope. 

 Your doctor will ask about your personal and family history, and examine you.  He or she may do some tests on your heart and blood.

 

If is important to tell your doctor if someone in your family has had a cardiomyopathy because some types can run in families and be inherited.  Your doctor may do tests to see if you are at risk. 

 Treatment depends on the cause of the cardiomyopathy.  For example, if you have high blood pressure, your doctor will prescribe medicine to help control it and put you on a low sodium diet. 

 If you smoke or drink alcohol, your doctor will tell you to quit.  You should also eat less than 2,400 milligrams of salt per day.  Some may actually be on a more restricted sodium intake than that.  Exercise is important, but check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. 

 If you have heart failure, you may need a small device that is like a pacemaker to help your heart beat correctly.  You will need surgery to place the device in your body.  You may also need a heart defibrillator depending on your circumstances.  If you are young, you might also need a heart transplant, if the cardiomyopathy is significant enough.  A cardiologist (heart specialist) can help you and your primary care provider make that decision.

 The American Academy of Family Physicians website is http://www.familydoctor.org, The American Heart Association’s website is http://www.americanheart.org.  Their telephone number is 1-800-242-8721.  The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have an excellent website at www.nhlbi.nih.gov and their telephone number is 1-301-592-8573.