Hypertrophy of the left ventricle: symptoms and treatment of the disease

Hypertrophy of the left ventricle is an increase in the walls of the ventricle or its cavity due to a variety of causative factors. The most common cause of left ventricular hypertrophy is hypertension or high blood pressure syndrome. Moderate hypertrophy of the left ventricle occurs with an active lifestyle, increased physical exertion and regular sports activities.

For the left ventricular hypertrophy, the causes can not always be determined, and recently the enlarged left ventricular syndrome is generally "younger" and occurs not only in the elderly, but also in young people under the age of 30 years. The enlargement of the wall can occur between the walls of the ventricles themselves, and evenly throughout the entire area of ​​the left heart.

Often, signs of left ventricular hypertrophy can be detected in athletes, as this group of people has increased oxygen consumption while actively playing sports. Blood, in time to saturate all tissues and organs with oxygen, is discharged in a larger quantity from the left ventricle into the aorta, resulting in a thickening of the walls of the left ventricle.

Symptoms and signs of left ventricular hypertrophy

The clinical picture of this syndrome is characterized by its polymorphism and diversity. Symptoms of left ventricular hypertrophy develop gradually, and at first the patient does not experience any discomfort from the cardiovascular system. Nevertheless, the main symptoms at the onset of the disease include the following changes:

• Patients may experience shortness of breath after intense physical exertion and minor pain in the heart area.
• Also, with physical exertion, dizziness and fainting may occur, accompanied by a feeling of lack of air.
• Patients report a decrease in their motor activity, as they quickly become tired.
• Many patients have cardiac arrhythmias - from rapid heartbeats to atrial fibrillation.

All these symptoms are similar to the clinical picture of coronary heart disease, in which there is a spasm of blood vessels that feed only the heart muscle. As a result of this condition, there is an increase in the need for cardiac muscle in oxygen consumption and its increase.

Very often, patients mark cardiac fading, as if it stopped beating at all, which in turn can trigger a loss of consciousness or a fainting condition. As the development of left ventricular hypertrophy, the symptoms can take on other shapes and the following symptoms appear:

• Arterial pressure increases and becomes unstable.
• Violation of the rhythm becomes not periodic or temporary, but acquires the character of a constant symptom.
• There are severe headaches.
• Pain in the heart is joined by pain along the entire thorax.
• Patients report sleep disorders( insomnia or drowsiness), as well as poor health and weakness, which become chronic.

Left ventricular hypertrophy may occur in other conditions in which this symptom enters the clinical picture of the disease. These include:

• Heart defects( acquired and congenital).
• Vascular artery atherosclerosis.
• Myocardial infarction.
• Acute and chronic heart failure.
• Pulmonary edema.
• Acute glomerulonephritis.

Diagnosis of left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy

The patient with the symptoms described above can only be examined by a doctor, guided by the patient's examination and collection of anamnesis. Among other diagnostic methods, electrocardiography is considered a good method. Using this method, you can measure the thickness of the heart muscle.

Normally, the left ventricle is larger than the right one, but with hypertrophy this ratio can increase to 4: 1 or 5: 1.Hypertrophy of the left ventricle on the ECG is as follows:

• The average QRS vector is strongly deflected to the right and forward relative to its position.
• There is an increase in the teeth of RvI, III and SI, V6.
• Increases the time of internal deviation( increased excitation from the endocardium to the epicardium).
• Ischemia of the subendocardial layer of the myocardium is observed.
• There is a conduction disturbance in the myocardium.
• The electric axis is deflected towards the hypertrophied ventricle( to the left).
• The electrical position of the heart changes.
• The transition zone( chest lead) is shifted to another thoracic lead( V2 or V1).
• Complete or incomplete blockage of the bundle can not be observed.

In addition to the above methods of diagnosis, also used nuclear magnetic resonance, computed tomography, chest X-ray. For the diagnosis of regular cardiac work, the use of a cardiovisor is shown, which can be bought for individual use or sent to the doctor for treatment. Also, regular use of therapy courses and observation by a cardiologist is shown.

The development of the disease in athletes

The doctors studied a lot of athletes to increase the left ventricle of the heart, after which they came to the conclusion that the athlete's heart is very different from the heart of an ordinary person( sports heart syndrome).It was proved that the influence of exorbitant physical exertion on the heart leads to the appearance of an asymptomatic course of left ventricular hypertrophy.

Everyone knows the stories of the death of athletes right in the competition hall for unknown reasons. Only then at autopsy it was established that the cause of death was hypertrophy of the left ventricle in athletes engaged in both dynamic and static sports. That's why doctors oppose professional sports and long physical activities, recommending cutting them down to about half. Doctors also recommend alternating heavy and medium-heavy workouts, and also oppose a sudden stopping of sports, as this can lead to sudden myocardial atrophy and the appearance of chronic heart failure.

Instead, heavy physical exertion needs to be reduced gradually, reducing their intensity and duration. It is possible from sports that require increased endurance, to move to more dynamic types of sports exercises, then the heart will automatically come back to normal.