Alcoholic cardiomyopathy refers to a type of heart/cardiac disease caused because of alcohol abuse on a long-term basis. Individuals indulge in alcohol intake for a long time often suffers problems in the form of thinning or weakening of their heart muscles, which further affect the ability of heart in pumping blood. Whenever heart fails to pump blood in an efficient way, blood flow in adequate amount disrupts almost every major function of a human body. This leads to heart failure and several other life-threatening health issues.
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Symptoms
Patients of alcoholic cardiomyopathy often experience-
- Breathing shortness
- Swelling in their ankles, feet and legs
- Weakness and fatigue
- Fainting or dizziness
- Appetite loss
- Difficulty in concentration
- Irregular heartbeat or rapid pulse rate
- Cough that often produces pink-colored mucus
- Changes in the excreted urine.
It is important to know that Alcoholic cardiomyopathy causes symptoms only when the disease becomes advanced. During this point, symptoms may even result in heart failure.
Causes of Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
Alcoholic abuse comes with a toxic effect on different organs of a human body, including one’s heart. Toxicity present in the alcohol causes damages and weakens muscles of one’s heart with time. This causes pumping blood by the heart very hard. Whenever the heart fails to pump out enough amount of blood, it starts to expand for holding extra blood. This results in thinning and enlargement of the heart. Eventually, blood vessels and heart muscles fail to function properly because of strain and damage.
Can Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy Be Cured?
The main objective to treat the problem of alcoholic cardiomyopathy is to manage any condition, which causes or contributes to further diseases, controlling cardiac problem symptoms. In this way, the treatment lets you to live a normal life by stopping the disease to become worse and reduce complications as well as risks related to sudden heart attack or cardiac arrest.
To treat alcoholic cardiomyopathy:
Stop the Alcohol Intake: To stop the intake of alcohol is the first and the most essential step associated with the treatment of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Doctors in this case, help patients to prevent from suffering with symptoms related to withdrawal of alcohol.
Diet Plan and Lifestyle Adjustments: Doctors also recommend you to make the necessary adjustments in your diet plan and your lifestyle. For this, doctors often recommend-
- Following a low sodium or low salt diet
- Follow a low trans-fat diet, while strictly avoid junk/fast foods
- Intake diuretics, as it increases the removal of salt and water both from the human body via urination.
- Put a limit on the amount of fluid you consume, so that you may ease pressure on the heart from causing fluid retention.
Medicines to Cure the Problem: Doctors may prescribe you beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors, as the necessary medicines to reduce or deal with the problem of blood pressure effectively.
Pacemaker Implantation: In case the heart of a person causes severe damage, the doctor may recommend for the implantation of pacemaker to help the proper function of one’s heart again.
Outlook of Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy
Outlook of alcoholic cardiomyopathy patients varies depending primarily on the extent of alcohol abuse and the amount of alcohol they consume for the specific period. These factors are responsible for determining the severity associated with one’s heart problem/damage. In case of severe heart damage, chances related to complete recovery of patients become low. Moreover, if the damage becomes irreversible, it becomes difficult for the heart and other body parts to achieve recovery.
Conclusion
It is very much essential for patients to stick with the recommended treatment plan by the doctor and at the same time, strictly stop the intake of alcohol during the recovery process to cure alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Also Read:
- Alcohol Detoxification Program
- Cardiomyopathy – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
- Is Alcohol Good or Bad for Your Health?
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
- Causes of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy & Its Treatment
- What Happens in Alcohol Rehab & How to Choose the Right Rehab Center for Alcohol?
- What is Alcohol Poisoning, Know its Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
- Can Drinking Alcohol Cause Blindness? Know the Effects of Alcohol on Eye Health
