What is restrictive cardiomyopathy?

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a serious problem that makes your heart muscle stiff. When your heart muscle is stiff, it can't stretch to allow enough blood to enter its lower chambers, the ventricles. So blood that would normally enter the heart backs up in your circulatory system.

Most of the time, this leads to heart failure. Heart failure doesn't mean that your heart stops pumping. It means that your heart can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.

You may not have any symptoms at first. Or you may have symptoms, such as feeling very tired or weak.

If your heart gets weaker, you may develop heart failure. When this happens, you may have other symptoms. These include:

• Shortness of breath, especially with activity.
• Tiredness.
• Trouble breathing when you lie down.
• Swelling in your legs.

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and past health. He or she will want to know about recent illnesses and about heart disease in your family. Your doctor will listen to your heart and lungs and will check your legs for fluid buildup.

You may also have other tests. These include:

• An electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG or EKG.
• A chest X-ray.
• An echocardiogram.
• Cardiac catheterization.
• An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
• Blood tests.

In some cases, a doctor may want to look at a small sample of heart tissue, called a biopsy, to make a definite diagnosis.

Most of the time, treatment focuses on relieving symptoms, improving heart function, and helping you live longer. You may also have other treatment for the problem that is causing restrictive cardiomyopathy. For example, you may take medicines to get rid of too much iron in the heart muscle (hemochromatosis).

If you have heart failure, you will probably take several medicines to slow the disease and help you feel better.

Your doctor may suggest an implanted device such as an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). An ICD can prevent life-threatening irregular heart rhythms.

If your condition is very bad, a heart transplant may be an option.

Self-care is an important part of your treatment. Self-care includes the things you can do every day to feel better, stay healthy, and avoid the hospital.

Take your medicines as prescribed.

This gives you the best chance of being helped by them.

Live a healthy lifestyle.

A heart-healthy lifestyle includes eating heart-healthy foods, staying at a healthy weight, and not smoking. If you think you may have a problem with alcohol or drug use, talk to your doctor. Get vaccinated against COVID-19, the flu, and pneumonia.

Ask your doctor about how you can exercise safely. People who have restrictive cardiomyopathy need to avoid doing too much, because their hearts can't increase blood flow during exercise.

Watch for signs that you're getting worse.

Weighing yourself every day to watch for sudden weight gain is a good way to do this. Keep a daily record of your weight and symptoms. Be sure you have a plan from your doctor so you know who to call if you gain weight suddenly or your symptoms change.