What Are the Treatments for Cardiomegaly?

When you develop cardiomegaly, this means that your heart has become enlarged. An enlarged heart may develop for a variety of reasons, such as an inflammation of the heart, a weakening of the heart muscles, an abnormal heart rhythm, or because of coronary heart disease. Having an enlarged heart cannot always be preventable, especially if you were born with a congenital heart defect. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can treat your condition by getting to the root of what is causing your enlarged heart.

Diuretic Medications

• Medications can include a variety of treatment courses. If your enlarged heart is due to cardiomyopathy, where your heart becomes thickened and stiff, or you have a weakened heart, you can be given diuretics. Diuretics decrease the amount of sodium and water that is absorbed by your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, diuretics, such as Lasix, can help relieve the pressure built up within the arteries and heart. As a result, medications like diuretics can help minimize tissue scarring within the heart.

Other Medications

• Other medications include ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta blockers and digoxin. Angiotensin-converting enzyme medications work by lowering blood pressure. ACE inhibitors can also help the heart's pumping capabilities improve. Angiotensin receptor blockers are prescribed if you are unable to take ACE inhibitors. Beta blockers provide better functioning of the heart, as well as lowering your blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, the drug digoxin helps lesson the need of you being hospitalized if you have heart failure, and also helps the heart pump better.

Medical Devices

• If you have an enlarged heart due to cardiomyopathy, there is a type of pacemaker developed specifically to help your right and left ventricle within your heart contract. If you suffer from heart rhythm complications, you may need to undergo surgery for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD. An ICD is a small unit about the size of a matchbox, that is placed within your chest. An ICD delivers small amounts of electrical shocks to the heart when the heart begins to beat too fast.

Atrial Fibrillation Surgery

• According to the American Heart Association, nearly 2.2 million Americans suffer from a condition known as atrial fibrillation, which can cause your heart to quiver. This type of a condition can lead to many complications, such as stroke, blood clots and an enlarged heart. If you enlarged heart is due to atrial fibrillation, you will undergo a surgery to regulate the rhythm of your heart.

Heart Valve Surgery

• If you have a defective heart valve that is causing your enlarged heart, this valve will be removed from your heart. The defective valve will then be replaced with either a donor valve from a human, pig or cow, or replaced with an artificial valve. If your enlarged heart is a result of valve regurgitation, whereby your heart's blood flows backwards instead of forwards, then the defective valve will be repaired or replaced.

Transplant

• In the most severe cases of an enlarged heart, when medications and other treatments have failed you, your only other option available is a heart transplant. You will be placed on a waiting list prior to your surgery. The downside of waiting for a donor heart, is that many individuals are currently on a waiting list. The amount of heart transplant recipients far outweigh the number of potential donors. If you are in need of a transplant, it is unknown how long the wait can last.