Table of contents:
- Understand the anatomy of the heart muscle
- How the heart muscle works
- Diseases that affect the heart muscle
- 1. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- 2. Dilated cardiomyopathy
- 3. Restrictive cardiomyopathy
The heart is composed of muscle tissue which functions to help circulate blood throughout the body more efficiently. If these muscles have problems, the heart's work to pump blood will also be disrupted. Find out how the heart muscle functions and works here.
Understand the anatomy of the heart muscle
In general, human muscles can be divided into three different groups namely smooth muscles, skeletal muscles, and cardiac muscles. All of these muscles have different functions.
The heart muscle itself is a combination of striated and smooth muscle that is cylindrical and has light and dark lines. When viewed closely under a microscope, this muscle has many cell nuclei located in the center.
The muscles in the heart are responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. The heart muscle is considered the strongest muscle because it is able to work continuously all the time without resting to pump blood. If this muscle stops working, the circulatory system will stop, causing death.
How the heart muscle works
Different from other muscles, the heart muscle works unconsciously. So, you can't control the performance of this muscle. The activity carried out by this muscle is influenced by special cells called pacemaker cells.
These cells are responsible for controlling the contractions of your heart. The nervous system then sends a signal to the pacemaker cells that encourage them to speed up or slow down your heart rate.
Diseases that affect the heart muscle
Cardiomyopathy is a disease that can affect the muscle tissue in your heart. This disease makes it more difficult for your heart to pump blood because the heart muscle is weakened, stretched, or has structural problems. If left without proper treatment, this disease can lead to heart failure.
Cardiomyopathy has several types, including:
1. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart muscles in the lower chamber area enlarge and thicken for no apparent reason. This thickening of the muscles in the heart causes the heart to work harder to pump blood.
This disease generally appears as a congenital disorder due to genetic mutations. However, if your parents, grandparents, and closest relatives have this disease, then you will be more likely to experience it too.
2. Dilated cardiomyopathy
Compared to other types, this disease is most often experienced by many people. Dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by the heart muscle in the left ventricle to enlarge and stretch, making it ineffective to pump blood out of the heart. This condition is generally caused due to coronary artery disease or a heart attack.
Although dilated cardiomyopathy can affect people of all ages, middle-aged men are more likely to experience it.
3. Restrictive cardiomyopathy
Restrictive cardiomyopathy occurs when the muscles in the heart become stiff and less elastic, preventing the heart from expanding and pumping blood properly. This type of heart disease is much rarer than heart diseases such as coronary artery disease or heart valve problems.
Most cases occur in elderly people. If not treated with proper medication, this disease can lead to heart failure.
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