Cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, is actually a symptom and not a disease. Typically found when an X-ray is performed, it may be indicative of a number of different conditions such as valve damage or high blood pressure. While not always preventable, once detected, the cause of cardiomegaly is usually treatable.
Diseased Heart Valves
The job of the four valves of your heart is to ensure the blood flows in the proper direction at all times. Various conditions and infections, such as rheumatic fever or birth defects, can damage these valves, causing the heart to enlarge and pump that much harder to work the way it was intended.
Sedentary Lifestyle
The Better Health Channel states that a sedentary lifestyle, or one lacking exercise, is a major risk factor for developing an enlarged heart. This is because lack of exercise can contribute to both coronary heart disease and high blood pressure, both of which are conditions that cause the heart to enlarge.
Lack of exercise may also lead to obesity, another risk factor of cardiomegaly. When you are obese, your body contains excess body fat which not only places undue stress on your heart, but may also cause your blood pressure to rise. Both of these situations, especially when combined, force the heart to work harder, thus resulting in an enlarged heart.
High Blood Pressure
The American Heart Association states that people can suffer for years from high blood pressure before realizing it is a problem for them. Known as the silent killer, this condition has few or no symptoms. When left untreated for a prolonged period of time, it damages the heart by forcing it to pump harder, leading to its enlargement.
To prevent this from occurring, have your blood pressure checked regularly by your physician, or purchase a home monitoring kit and check your pressure yourself on a regular basis. Anything under 120/80 is considered healthy according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Birth Defects
In certain cases, people are born with congenital heart defects, such as a hole in the heart. Defects like this force the heart to work harder, affecting the way the blood flows through the heart. The harder the heart has to pump, the greater the risk of developing an enlarged heart.
Weak Muscles
Conditions such as a heart attack, cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure cause the muscles of the heart to become stiff and thick, which, over time, results in a weakening of your heart muscles according to the American Heart Association. Just as with the previously mentioned conditions, these not only weaken the muscles of the heart, but force it to work harder; this results in cardiomegaly.
