My nan has an enlarged heart

my nan has recently been to see the GP and she has recently been diagnosed with having an enlarged heart. the GP has not fully explained the reason as to why this may have been caused or the events in which she has been diagnosed. the symptoms that she has is arthritis, high blood pressure, but the has reduced down to her normal pressure. she is 60 years old. she also suffers from vertigo. she also, form time to time, had swelling on feet and legs. shes also suffers from alot of strong chest pains occasionally. what should she be recommended in this situation as the result of her enlarged heart has been the most recently diagnosed problem. should she be on any relvant medication or should she be referred to any particular specialists. she has started doing regular exercise in the past 2 years such as aerobics in swimming, and other gentle exercises and also yoga. please could you tell us what help she may need and what medications she should be on and what should be avoided . we consider this as very important so please could you get back to us regarding this matter.

thank you for your help

Pinal

[Cleveland Clinic]

Pinal,

Unfortunately, the descritive term 'enlarged heart' is not a medical term and leaves me as lost as you on exactly what condition your nan may have.  

I would assume she has one of two conditions.  Either ventricular hypertrophy or thickeing of the walls which is most commonly associated with a history of high blood pressure or a dilated heart associted with impairment of ventricular function.  The latter is most commonly caused by hypertension also.

A start would be to find out which condition she may have and that would be done with an echocardiogram. Depending on which the medications she should take would vary but in both your would strive for good blood pressure control and good cholesterol control as well as an active healthy lifestyle.  Given her chest pains, wou would want to ensure she didnt have coronary blockages causing her problems in either condition.

To start, you should figure out what your doctor is referring to by enlarged heart and ask him/her exaclty what they are doing to prevent it from worsening and where they think it came from.

hope this is a start.

good luck