Enlarged Heart

Our Approach

The doctors at Franciscan Health focus on treating the underlying causes of an enlarged heart. Your treatment plan may include:

Medications to:

• Lower blood pressure
• Improve heart function
• Promote urination, which puts less stress on how much fluid the heart must pump

Procedures for:

• Pacemaker to help keep a regular heartbeat
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to deliver shocks that control abnormal heartbeats
• Bypass surgery if coronary artery disease has caused enlargement of the heart
• Heart valve surgery to repair or replace a leaky valve

Our team may recommend advanced imaging, lifestyle changes, medications, or specialized heart care treatments to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Early diagnosis and expert care are important for preventing complications and protecting heart health.

Learn more about cardiovascular surgery at Franciscan Health.

How Is An Enlarged Heart Diagnosed?

Our doctors can detect an enlarged heart even if you have no symptoms or are being examined for other conditions. Enlargement of the heart will be visible on an X-ray.

Your doctor will then use other tests to determine why the heart is enlarged including:

• Echocardiography: Echocardiography uses sound waves to produce images of the heart. Your doctor can then evaluate each of the heart's chambers. Echocardiography can uncover a congenital problem (a condition you were born with).
• EKG: EKG (electrocardiogram) uses electrodes to measure the heart's electrical activity.
• Stress test: An exercise stress test measures how well the heart performs during physical activity.
• Blood tests: Blood tests can determine or dismiss other causes of an enlarged heart.
• Cardiac catheterization: In some cases, you may need cardiac catheterization. During this procedure, a doctor inserts a tube into an artery in the groin. The tube runs up to the heart so the doctor can take a tissue sample.

What Is An Enlarged Heart?

An enlarged heart is when your heart grows larger than normal in response to stress, damage to heart muscles, or other heart conditions.

As the heart becomes larger it becomes weaker, forcing it to work harder to pump blood throughout the rest of the body. This causes more strain on your heart.

The condition may be temporary if it happens during pregnancy but can be permanent depending on the cause.

What Causes An Enlarged Heart?

An enlarged heart is the result of damage to the heart muscles or results from medical conditions that force the heart to pump harder and grow larger.

The larger the muscle grows the less flexible it becomes. That inflexibility reduces its ability to pump blood.

People born with heart problems are at a higher risk for an enlarged heart. Sometimes doctors can't find a cause.

Numerous conditions can enlarge the heart including:

• Anemia
• Cardiomyopathy (diseased heart muscle)
• Coronary heart disease
• Fluid around the heart sac
• High blood pressure
• Infections
• Kidney disease
• Underactive or overactive thyroids
• Valve disease

Symptoms Of An Enlarged Heart

People with an enlarged heart may show no symptoms. But if they do, symptoms may include:

• Chest pain
• Fainting
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling

How To Get Care

If you are concerned about your heart or believe you may have enlarged heart, start by speaking with your primary care provider, who can order testing or make a referral to a specialist.

If you have an enlarged heart diagnosis and are looking for a provider, use our directory to find a cardiologist or heart care location near you.

You may be able to schedule or request an appointment online. If you do not see that option, or prefer to call, use our location search and call the local office.