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I've had a chest x ray because of a nagging cough and wheezing and am told I have an enlarged heart! Anybody else have this and what happened as a result of being diagnosed with this. I am pretty shaken up and worried and have to have a blood test and possibly an echocardiagram. Any info appreciated thank you!
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peter01729 Diane66
Posted
lyn1951 Diane66
Posted
Next step I would think would be an echo cardiogram, that will tell them exactly what is going on, enlarged heart is not a diagnoses.
You could have dialated cardiomyopthy, that can also be called an enlarged heart.
My husband has global dialated cardiomyopathy, but the worst is his left ventricle, he gets very breathless, and lives on the verge of congestive heart failure all the time, even the other day, i noticed he was particularly breathless, even when sitting still, it was a very hot and humid day, and he was not coping well, even inside with the air-con running, took him to the local GP, his lungs were filling with fluid, fruesemide prescribed, and he has come right again, until the next time.
We have learnt over the last nearly seven years, that he must pace himself, not get tooo breathless, but that doesn't mean he sits in a chair waiting to die either, if he had sat around and done nothing he would be long dead, he walks about 3 - 4 km's a day, mows our lawns, gardens, fixes the entire neighbourhoods lawnmowers for cost, so we have lots of customers.
He built up that walking regiem, from being in the hospital at his worst, could not use the toilet without help, came home, and I insisted right from day one that he walk from the bedroom about 10 steps to the lounge room, and then over the next week or so, pointed out that walk back to the bedroom, and turn and come back to the lounge room, over time just adding a few extra steps every 4 - 5 days, that walk became the 3 - 4 km's
He watches his fluid intake as per advice from the hospital and heart re-hab, 1 1/2 litres a day, but if he is sweating that can be increased to say 2 litres.
Weighs himself every morning and writes result in a little school exercise book what his weight is, if weight has changed suddenly, say about 2 kilos we go to the heart hospital, to get them to check him out, also take our little exercise book to show them our record of what has been happening with his health, many is the time they have photcopied the pages.
I then take his blood pressure, which stays amazingly stable, on our little home omron, it also gives me his heart rate, also add that to the little book.
We follow a dietian's advice and have both lost a considerable amount of weight, which has helped, you do not need to carrying excess weight if you have a heart condition.