lV impairment

Heart health and blood vessels
1

Help and advise needed please.

Iv been diagnosed with a moderately impaired LV

Om being sent for a second MRI and my doc doesn't know why this has happened at my age (early 30s). I've had high blood pressure currently controlled by medication but anxiety plays a part in my life.i have some questions please help.

Can an impaired LV be improved / get better? its not yet known of its genetic or not

What will happen next. What does this mean for my life.

Am I going to die young (I know this is a irrational question)

Thank you in advance

2

Please don't be anxious, I know how you feel - anything to do with our heart makes us scared!  The fact you have only a moderately impaired LV is good!  These things can happen to anyone of any age unfortunately  - your consultant will advise you what you need which may be medication, and perhaps just 'keeping an eye' on things. I just had a valve repair, apparently I could have had a faulty valve since I was born! Only discovered as I had a cough for 2 years, (cough due to fluid on lung due to the valve)   lung consultant found the murmur. I'm very lucky it was found as it wasn't moderate! Trust your heart consultant, he/she will know the best course of action, meantime try and look on positive side - at least it has been diagnosed and you will be given the best of advice and care - thinking of you and sending best wishes, try not to dwell on it too much (difficult I know) - all will be well.  

3

The Lv could be due to the left side never working correctly, but not picked up previously, may have got worse or could have been caused by a virus, the reason is irrelevant asn tests can't always give reasons for the cause, what is important is what tratmentment you need going forward and being monitored.

High blood pressue could be a contributory factory, but not the only reason, are you on medicaton to control it, is it hereditary or lifestyle related. If it is lifestyle you need to adapt changes to improve, more exercise, eat healthily, to reduce anxiety could look at relaxation techniques, yoga, meditation, deep beathing, do things you enjoy to switch your mind off. slow down your lifestyle. if it is hereditary lifestyle changes nay help, but will still have the underlying risk and tendency to develop as you get older.

Lv has been known to improve, usually say if no improvement within a year unlikely to see any changes, but everyone is different and no 2 people react the same.

You will have to work within your limits and adjust your lifestyle to your physical abilities, this may be ongoing if it progresses. Ie, I have changed careers twice, considered taking ill health retrment, redundancy, had to limit exercise, unable to do housework, ironing. I now qualify for disability allowance, this is not income related, so may be worth looking to see if you qualify, this allows me to pay for a cleaner and ironing to be done. My husband also has to do more around the house, sometimes not well enough to cook. My job is now desk based, so I am able to work full time, you have to find out how it effects you and your situation and look at what you can adapt to maintain as normal a life as possible. It may not effect you phyically that much as you haven't said what your symptoms are. People live a long and healthy life with it. Look at the cardiomyopathy Association website you will find lots of information on the condition, everyone is different, people can be diagnosed as similiar and have different degree of symptoms. You need to wait for further tests, it is not as bad as you think and can be managed.

Hope this helps, let us know how you get on and if you need any further info, I have had dilated cardiomyapthy since 1981, dianosed at 16 and have only deteriorated in the last 10 years, but still have a good quality of life, do the things I enjoy, you learn to adapt, but it is not easy to begin with nad quite scary for you.

4

Thank you for your reply and kindness, im trying hard but just so scared

5

Thank you for your reply. Ill try to answer your points. Im on medication for my BP, its unknown if this is hereditary ( heart problem previously in family but completly different to this), I definatly isnt lifestyle related (dont drink, dont smoke, excersise) You ask about symotoms but I dont think I have any. My dr asked the same and I didnt know what symptoms could be or what for. However, I dont have chest pains, I dont get out of breath and I dont feel dizzy/faint. Is that what you mean? This is why im feeling so shocked as if it wasnt for a blood pressure readings being high, id never have known about this.

Is what iv described the same as you have? (No one has said dilated cardiomyaphy to me, but havent been told more than LV moderatly impaired) I am going to have another MRI scan soon i believe.

Thank you again

6

as to previous reply, BP reading today was 125/85 - much better since medication started about three months ago

7

LV impairment means that the chamber is not pumping as well as it should be, also termed as heart failure, sounds worse than it is, just means the heart is not working as efficiently as it should. Healthy hearts are 50/55% efficient, although mine is severely impaied on the right hand side and top 2 chambers have withered away, my heart is 45% efficient, due to lots of exercise when I could.

Symptoms are normally, fatigue, this is different to being tired, you just need to rest and don't feel that you have the energy to do anything. May get short of breath on exertion, fluid retention, this tends to build up in the legs, abdomen and overnight in the face, will drain during the morning, muscles ache and take longer to recover after exercise, chest feeling heavy, i use to descibe it feeling like you are in the wrong gear going up hill, headaches, pains in chest.

A Chest xray will show if the heart is enlarged and you may be sent for an echo, which is similiar to baby screening, this can give them a 3D look at the heart , take measurements of chambers, arteries, valves and give heart efficiency, there are lots of other tests, tilt, mugga scan, but unlikely to have these unless yor symptoms get worse, also angigram to look at pressure within the heart and how the muscles are working.

It sounds like you have been diagnosed early and will need to be monitored annually or go to the GP if you develop symptoms to be referred to cardiologist.

I have had MRI as I have a pacemaker, so not sure what info this gives them.

If you are unsure of anything ask your GP to explain and make a list before you go in.