CARDIOMYOPATHY

Cardiomyopathy, also called cardiopathy, is a disease of the myocardium, manifested

by structure alterations of the cardiac muscle tissue, by cardiac activity disorder and reduction
of the cardiac functions.

As the cardiomyopathy develops, the

heart's capacity of pumping blood into the body
consequently diminishes. If neglected,
cardiomyopathy may cause: heart failure
(because of myocardium deterioration, the
heart does not pump the necessary amount of
blood into the body any more. Therefore, the
body retains water and salts; the cardiac rate
and the heart size grow – which will lead to
diminishing the strength of the cardiac tissue);
arrhythmia (abnormal cardiac rate);
thromboembolism (blood clots that may
obstruct the supply with blood of certain vital
organs: lungs, heart, brain, etc.); myocardial
infarction; endocarditis (bacterial infection of
the inner cardiac sheath); sudden death.

The main types of no ischemic cardiomyopathy are: dilated cardiomyopathy,

hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic left ventricular
cardiomyopathy.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most frequent type of cardiomyopathy. It occurs in

adults between 20 and 60 years of age. It often develops, causing specific complications: heart
failure, arrhythmia, thromboembolism, sudden death.

The origin of this type of cardiomyopathy may be idiopathic, genetic, viral or immune,
alcoholic, toxic or associated with other cardiac diseases (high blood pressure, coronary
diseases).

Upon the onset, the left ventricle wall becomes thinner because it is dilated and
enlarged, extending the capacity of the ventricular cavity. The systolic disorder occurs. The

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congestive process seizes also the right ventricle and later the atria. Thus the heart grows
larger while the myocardium becomes weaker. Both the cardiac capacity and the blood
amount pumped to the body are diminished. The diminishing of the cardiac function affects
the kidneys, the lungs, the liver and other systems of the body.

Some of the symptoms are: chest pain, palpitations, irregular and fast pulse, fatigue,
suffocation episodes during physical effort and rest, cough, swoon, edema in the lower limbs,
prominence of the jugular veins, diminished appetite and concentration capacity.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

In hyperthrophic cardiomyopathy, the myocardium wall grows thicker and it loses its
elasticity especially in the septum area (the muscle wall separating the two ventricles). Should
the structure alterations of the septum obstruct the blood circulation from the left ventricle to
the aorta, then the disease is called obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Generally speaking, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is asymptomatic or it generates a

minor symptomatology. Where it exists, its symptoms are: palpitations, pains or pressure in
the chest, suffocation, swoon, permanent fatigue. In particular cases, the patient may die
suddenly as a result of heart failure.

Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

It is a rare type of cardiomyopathy, defined by hardening of the ventricular walls and

by their incapacity to dilate as the ventricles are filled with blood. There occur disorders of the
diastolic rate. As symptoms, the patient mentions the following: disorders of the cardiac rate,
which feel as palpitations, pains or pressure in the chest, diminished appetite, distension and
nausea, permanent fatigue, suffocation, swoon, diminishing of the effort capacity, and growth
of weight.

Arrhythmogenic Left Ventricular Cardiomyopathy

It is a rare type of cardiomyopathy in which mainly the right ventricle is affected. The
muscle wall of the ventricle is replaced by adipose tissue and/or by fibrous tissue. The
ventricular contractions are disrupted.Therefore arrhythmia occurs, thus raising the risk of
myocardial infarction or of sudden death. Arrhythmias are accompanied by dizziness, swoon,
palpitations, suffocation, decrease of physical capacities, and edema in the lower limbs.

Ischemic Cardiomyopathy

It occurs when the cardiac muscle tissue is not supplied with enough blood. The
myocardium ischemia is caused by diseases of a coronary artery, anemia, apnea,
hyperthyroidism, hepatic diseases.

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 The symptoms are as follows: pectoris angina (pain or pressure in the chest),
palpitations, irregular or very fast pulse, dizziness, swoon, suffocation, fatigue, overweight,
edema in the lower limbs.

Risk Factors

There is of higher risk of cardiomyopathy where the following are present: high blood
pressure, obesity, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, sedentariness, a high cholesterol level,
disorders of the cardiac valves, lesions caused by a heart attack, nutritional deficiencies
(magnesium, selenium, vitamin B1, calcium), a diet rich in fats or if the person is a smoker. A
person's emotional life also has a special importance for the cardiac activity. The states of
deep sadness or the anxieties deteriorate the functions of the cardiac tissue.

Treatment

The treatment of cardiomyopathy deals with the recovery of the cardiac muscle's
elasticity, which is accomplished by oxygenating and supplying the affected tissue with
blood.

The cardiac blood circulation and the

permeability of the blood vessels irrigating the
myocardium are aslo recovered by using
acupuncture procedures and administration of
certain herb extracts necessary for this type of
disease. Where there are thrombotic formations,
they are reabsorbed, and the causes generating
their occurrence are annihilated (hepatic diseases,
diseases of a coronary artery, anemia, apnea, and
hyperthyroidism).

Stabilizing the vegetative nervous system is an important stage of the treatment, as the
nervous ramifications innervating the cardiac tissue play a major part in the process of
normalization of the cardiac activity. The tension accumulated by stress, nervousness, states
of sadness and anxiety or by other negative psychic manifestations is removed by specific
acupuncture techniques and by medical psychological counseling.

Cured pacient: Cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction

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AND PRACTICE HYPERTENSION)

The traditional medicine, whose history is as The existence of a chronic disease in one
old as the planet and as nature, treats the of these organs will create a favorable
cause, not the effect. context for hypertension. Therefore its
treatment in traditional medicine requires
In this case, the herbs, the various identification of the triggering causes,
acupuncture techniques and other methods as assessment of the degree to which the
well, treat all the affections, irrespective of cardio-vascular system is affected and
their gravity. The traditional medicine is a treatment of the morpho-functional
treasure. Those people who find it will guard alterations.
and treasure it in their turn. Those who don’t
find it, well, diseases of all kind will find
them.

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