Before oxygen-enriched blood enters the left ventricle and is pushed into the aorta and a large circle of blood, the biological fluid enters the atrium. It is a cardiac cavity connected to the ventricle through a valve. Dilation of the left atrium is an expansion of the volume of the given chamber (stretching) without thickening of its walls. Pathology is not considered an independent disease, since it is just a symptom of congenital or acquired ailments.
Causes of dilatation of the left atrium
The main factor provoking the development of the described problem is the narrowing of the mitral valve connecting the left ventricle and the atrium. Because of a small hole, blood is hardly pushed and can return back to the chamber (regurgitation). Such overloads lead to atrial dilatation.
Other possible causes of enlargement of the left cardiac chamber:
- steady increase in pressure in a large circle of blood circulation;
- severe or borderline physical activity;
- aortic stenosis ;
- atrial fibrillation of various forms;
- cardiomyopathy.
Apparently, the considered pathology always indicates more serious heart diseases.
Symptoms of dilatation of the left atrial cavity
Specific symptoms for this disease does not exist. As a rule, a person is worried about the clinical manifestations of the main causes provoking enlargement of the left chamber of the heart, and signs of heart failure.
There are also situations where the pathology is generally asymptomatic (idiopathic dilatation). In such cases it is important to carefully examine and nevertheless find the factors that caused the enlargement of the left atrium. Usually, cardiologists start with the exception of alcohol abuse, since addiction to alcoholic beverages is accompanied by constantly high blood pressure. If during the study the causes of dilatation were not identified, it is recommended simply to regularly monitor the condition and size of the cardiac chamber.
Treatment of dilatation of the left atrium
Given that the expansion of the cavity actually represents a clinical manifestation, rather than a disease, therapy is based on eliminating the pathology that caused the problem. Only after this it is possible to proceed to the immediate treatment of the described disorder, if it is still required. When the correct blood flow is restored, the blood pressure stabilizes and the functions of the vascular system improve, the volume of the cardiac chamber returns to normal. The elasticity of its walls also remains the same.
Minor dilatation of the left atrium is usually not subject to therapy, as in the case with the idiopathic form of the disease, in this situation, systematic monitoring and recording of the volume of the cardiac cavity is carried out.
With moderate dilatation of the left atrium of the 1-2 degree at the discretion of the cardiologist, various drugs can be prescribed:
- antagonists of aldosterone;
- diuretics ;
- antiarrhythmic drugs;
- cardiac glycosides;
- beta-blockers;
- antiaggregants;
- ACE inhibitors.
The expediency of use, dosage and duration of reception is determined by a physician of the individual for each person.
In addition to pharmacological therapy, non-pharmacological treatment is required. It consists in the following recommendations:
- Completely eliminate alcoholic beverages from the diet.
- Reduce the amount of liquid drunk per day.
- Choose an acceptable level of physical activity.
- Limit consumption of foods that increase blood viscosity.
- Monitor blood pressure.