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The increase in the left ventricle of the heart

Enlargement of the left ventricle (or hypertrophy) is an enlargement and thickening of the walls of the main pumping chamber of the heart. Hypertrophy can develop in response to some negative factor such as high blood pressure or significant physical exertion. The enlarged heart muscle loses its elasticity and eventually can't pump blood with the necessary force. Enlargement of the left ventricle is most often found in people who have uncontrolled high blood pressure. This condition is quite dangerous, after all, ultimately can lead to the development of heart attack and stroke. At risk are elderly people with overweight, hypertension and diabetes.

The symptoms of the abnormal condition

Enlargement of the left ventricle in most cases develops very slowly. The patient may not experience the unpleasant signs or symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease. But with the development of hypertrophy can occur:

  • inconsistent breathing;
  • unexplained fatigue;
  • chest pain, especially after exercise;
  • the sensation of rapid, fluttering heartbeats;
  • dizziness or fainting.

You need to seek medical assistance if:

  • there is a feeling of chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes;
  • there are serious breathing difficulties that interfere with doing daily activity;
  • there are serious recurring problems with memory;
  • there are loss of consciousness;
  • troubling shortness of breath combined with heart palpitations.

The causes of the anomalies

Enlargement of the left ventricle may occur if some adverse factors will cause the heart to work more intensively than usual. This means that the heart muscle will need to do a few times more contractions in order to pump blood through the body.

  • High blood pressure (hypertension) is considered the most common cause of thickening of the ventricular wall. More than one third of all patients learn about hypertrophy at the time of diagnosis "arterial hypertension".
  • Aortic valve stenosis — a disease which is a narrowing of the flap of muscular tissue that separates the left ventricle from the aorta. Narrowing of the aortic valve leads to the fact that the heart has to contract more often in order to pump blood into the aorta.
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic disease that occurs when the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick and tough.
  • Professional sports. Intensive, long-term strength training, as well as irregular exercise endurance can cause heart can not quicklyto adapt and to cope with the extra load. As a result, the left ventricle can swell (grow).

What can cause hypertrophy?

The disease cannot be ignored, because a significant increase in the ventricle can dramatically change the structure and functioning of the heart. The enlarged ventricle may weaken and lose elasticity, which will increase the pressure in the heart. Hypertrophied tissue can also compress blood vessels and restrict blood flow directly to the heart muscle.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Electrical signals will not be able to confirm the increase in ventricle. But cardiologists can identify some difficulties in the passage of the pulse, which will indicate the violation of the density of the heart muscle tissue.

MRI

Images of the heart, made by a special scanner, will directly indicate hypertrophy of the ventricle.

Treatment of hypertrophy

Treatment depends on the root causes that provoked an increase in ventricle and may include medication and/or surgery.