How Do You Diagnose An Enlarged Heart?
The symptoms of an enlarged heart, or cardiomegaly, can range from heart palpitations to panic attacks to heart failure. An enlarged heart is not to be confused with the term “athlete’s heart,” which is larger than normal as a healthy result of aerobic training. In an enlarged heart, the muscle walls may either be thickened from having to work harder, or weakened from heart disease. More specifically, a few possible causes are as follows: overcompensation for high blood pressure, dilation of the blood vessels, and injury to the heart muscle from lack of blood (heart attack). See a cardiologist for a chest X-ray, which can show if the heart is oversized compared to surrounding organs. Get an electrocardiogram (ECG). With an ECG, pulse monitors attached on the skin can detect rhythm abnormalities in your heartbeat. Get an echocardiogram. Using sound waves, your doctor can image the interior chambers of the heart to see which chambers are enlarged. This allows your doctor to differentiate
