Cardiomyopathy :
When the muscles of the heart are infected, it is called cardiomyopathy. Patients suffering from cardiomyopathy may experience severe shortness of breath even on minimal exertion, swelling of legs and face, inability to lie down flat, dizziness, syncope, palpitations, and bloating of the stomach. There are several types of cardiomyopathy. The most common one is dilated cardiomyopathy, where the ventricles of the heart get thin and dilated, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood into the aorta and other organs. Another type of cardiomyopathy is heterotrophic cardiomyopathy, where the muscles of the heart are thickened. A cardiologist might advise 2D echo, chest X-ray, and basic blood investigations like Pro BNP to diagnose cardiomyopathy. A patient suffering from cardiomyopathy might require frequent hospitalization. Treatment includes medical management like decongestive therapy, and procedural therapies include septal ablation, cardiac resynchronization therapy, and ICD. Some of the patients might also be advised surgical procedures like septal myectomy and heart transplants.