What Is an Enlarged Heart?

An enlarged heart is an abnormal increase in size or thickness in the heart muscle, often causing the heart to pump blood inefficiently. Although an enlarged heart is not an actual illness, it is a symptom of many heart- or blood-related illnesses. According to the American Heart Association, an enlarged heart is detected by a doctor through physical examination and X-rays or other imaging tests.

Types

• According to the American Heart Association, an enlarged heart develops when the heart muscle thickens and enlarges to accommodate the additional stress, called hypertrophy. The organ increases its cell size because it is difficult for it to pump blood at its normal size.

  Dilation of the heart also increases the size of the heart, causing it to expand. It expands as a response to heart muscle damage.

Causes

• According to the Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure, heart valve disease, abnormal heartbeat and pulmonary hypertension causes the heart to enlarge. Congenital heart defects also cause heart enlargement.

  Other issues that cause heart enlargement include anemia, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, obesity, excessive exercise, excess iron in the body and protein buildup in the heart.

  Damage to the heart muscle, caused by a heart attack, congestive heart failure or dilated cardiomyopathy also causes the heart muscle to dilate, enlarging it.

Symptoms

• An enlarged heart can cause shortness of breath, dizziness or abnormal heartbeats. It can also cause edema, where fluid swells the tissues in the body. According to Your Total Health at iVillage.com, many people do not experience any symptoms.

Complications

• Complications associated with an enlarged heart include heart failure, blood clots, heart murmurs, cardiac arrest, fainting and sudden death. An enlarged heart can weaken the heart muscle or cause the heart valves to improperly close, raising the risk of developing more serious heart problems.

Treatments

• Doctors treat the underlying causes of an enlarged heart through medications and surgery. If it is because the heart muscle is weak, usually due to cardiomyopathy or another heart condition, doctors may treat it with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) or beta blockers to lower blood pressure and improve the heart's pumping ability. Digoxin also improves the heart's pumping ability. Diuretics also reduce further damage by reducing the amount of sodium and water in the body, reducing pressure in the arteries and heart.

  If medications do not work, a doctor can implant a special pacemaker that regulates the contractions between the left and right ventricular chambers. This is used for people with an enlarged heart caused by dilation. If the enlargement is due to the heart valves, surgery can narrow the valves and replace it with an artificial valve or a valve extracted from a pig. Heart valves extracted from humans are also used. This corrects any heart valve abnormalities.

  If none of the above solutions work, a heart transplant can be recommended. This is reserved for a critically ill person whose life is as risk if she does not receive a new heart.