carotid artery

[bouncer281]

what is this pulsing in the right side of my neck, im a bit worried about it because I have dilated cardiomyopathy also, are the two related

[bouncer281]

hi, I do have shortness of breathe with decreased exercise tolerance and I don't know about retaining fluid as I haven't had it checked. do you think my heart failure is getting worse and if so do you think I should make an appointment to see my cardiologist as soon as possible, thanking you, sarah davies.

[CCF HeartMD6]

Unfortunately, without being able to conduct a physical examination, it is impossible to determine exactly what you are referring to.  However, a pulsation that is occurring along your neck may be your carotid artery (pressure transmitted from your beating heart) or even perhaps your jugular vein (pressure being transmitted from your right atrium/right ventricle).  Having a dilated cardiomyopathy puts you at risk of developing issues with volume overload, which in turn may lead to jugular venous distention.  However, this is often accompanied by clinical symptoms of shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance, and retaining fluid in your abdomen and/or legs.  If you are experiencing such symptoms (or continue to have concern about this pulsation), I would suggest seeing your cardiologist who can perform a physical examination to better determine what you are reporting.