Cardiomyopathy   is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body. Cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure.

The main types of cardiomyopathy include dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive cardiomyopathy. 

Symptoms

• Breathlessness with exertion or even at rest
• Swelling of the legs, ankles and feet
• Bloating of the abdomen due to fluid buildup
• Cough while lying down
• Fatigue
• Heartbeats that feel rapid, pounding or fluttering
• Chest discomfort or pressure
• Dizziness, lightheadedness and fainting     

Types of cardiomyopathy include:

Dilated cardiomyopathy

 In this type of cardiomyopathy, the pumping ability of your heart’s main pumping chamber — the left ventricle — becomes enlarged (dilated) and can’t effectively pump blood out of the heart.

 Although this type can affect people of all ages, it occurs most often in middle-aged people and is more likely to affect men. The most common cause is coronary artery disease or heart attack.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

 This type involves abnormal thickening of your heart muscle, particularly affecting the muscle of your heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle). The thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to work properly.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can develop at any age, but the condition tends to be more severe if it becomes apparent during childhood. Most affected people have a family history of the disease, and some genetic mutations have been linked to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy

In this type, the heart muscle becomes rigid and less elastic, so it can’t expand and fill with blood between heartbeats. This least common type of cardiomyopathy can occur at any age, but it most often affects older people.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy can occur for no known reason (idiopathic), or it can by caused by a disease elsewhere in the body that affects the heart, such as when iron builds up in the heart muscle (hemochromatosis).

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia

 In this rare type of cardiomyopathy, the muscle in the lower right heart chamber (right ventricle) is replaced by scar tissue, which can lead to heart rhythm problems. It’s often caused by genetic mutations.

Risk factors

• Family history of cardiomyopathy, heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest
• Long-term high blood pressure
• Conditions that affect the heart, including a past heart attack, coronary artery disease or an infection in the heart (ischemic cardiomyopathy)
• Obesity, which makes the heart work harder
• Long-term alcohol abuse
• Illicit drug use, such as cocaine, amphetamines and anabolic steroids
• Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy for cancer
• Certain diseases, such as diabetes, an under- or overactive thyroid gland, or a disorder that causes the body to store excess iron (hemochromatosis)
• Other conditions that affect the heart, such as a disorder that causes the buildup of abnormal proteins (amyloidosis), a disease that causes inflammation and can cause lumps of cells to grow in the heart and other organs (sarcoidosis), or connective tissue disorders.

Complications

Cardiomyopathy can lead to other heart conditions, including:

• Heart failure: Your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. Untreated, heart failure can be life-threatening.
• Blood clots: Because your heart can’t pump effectively, blood clots might form in your heart. If clots enter your bloodstream, they can block the blood flow to other organs, including your heart and brain.
• Valve problems: Because cardiomyopathy causes the heart to enlarge, the heart valves might not close properly. This can lead to a backward flow of blood.
• Cardiac arrest and sudden death: Cardiomyopathy can lead to abnormal heart rhythms. These abnormal heart rhythms can result in fainting or, in some cases, sudden death if your heart stops beating effectively. 

Prevention

BY CHANGING LIFESTYLE 

• Avoiding the use of alcohol or cocaine
• Controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes
• Eating a healthy diet
• Getting regular exercise
• Getting enough sleep
• Reducing your stress

Homoeopathic remedies

Aurum metallicum: Heart failure after valvular lesions. Heart feels loose on walking. Sensations as if heart stopped beating for two or three seconds, immediately followed by tumultuous rebound with sinking at the epigastrium. Oppression at the heart. Pulse rapid, feeble and irregular. Blood pressure high.

Digitalis purpurea: Digitalis is an excellent remedy for heart failure with irregular heart beat. Sensation as if heart would stop beating if moved, must hold the breath and keep still. Pulse full, irregular, very slow and weak, intermitting every third, fifth, or seventh beat. Weak heart. The least movement causes violent palpitations. Frequent stitches in heart.

Strophanthus: Strophanthus is best for heart failure with edema of legs. Heart’s action weak, rapid, irregular, due to muscular debility and insufficiency. Pulse rapid, alternating with slow, weak, small irregular.

Nux vomica: Nux vomica is an excellent remedy for heart failure seen in alcoholics. Hear feels tired, palpitation on lying down. Usually constipated with ineffectual desire.

Crataegus oxy: Crataegus is considered a heart tonic. Heart muscles seem flabby, worn out. Heart weakness with oppression, stitches and insomnia.Extreme dyspnea on least exertion without much increase of pulse. Heart dilated, first sound weak. Incompetent valves, valvular murmurs.