Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy : Symptoms

Healthline's Premium Tools

Pill Finder
Search by color, shape and markings. click here
Drug Interaction Checker
Check any 2 drugs for interactions. click here
Drug Compare
Compare any two drugs side by side. click here
Healthline Part D Plan Selector Medicare Part D
Medicare's drug plans are subsidized by the US federal government and offered through insurers.
Advertisement
Marketplace
There are usually no symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage. At that point, the symptoms occur due to heart failure and may include: Ankle, feet, and leg swelling; Awakening during the night with shortness of breath (paroxysmal nocturn...
Source:ADAM
Date:May 15, 2008
An arrhythmia is a disorder of the heart rate (pulse) or heart rhythm, such as beating too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly.
Source:ADAM
Date:May 15, 2008
An arrhythmia is an abnormality in the heart ' s rhythm, or heartbeat pattern. The heartbeat can be too slow, too fast, have extra beats, skip a beat, or otherwise beat irregularly.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on arrhythmias, including symptoms, types, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on problems involving heart rhythm
Source:StayWell
The guidelines for how long to wait before driving after having an ICD implanted have been revised, to reflect the growing number of people who receive the device preventively.
Source:StayWell
Breathing difficulty while lying down is an abnormal condition. A person with this condition must keep the head elevated (by sitting or standing) to be able to breathe deeply or comfortably. The condition may also cause a person to wake up suddenly during the night, feeling short of breath (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.
Source:ADAM
Date:January 18, 2007
Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. However, excessive coughing may mean you have an underlying disease or disorder. Some coughs are dry, while others are considered productive. A productive cough is one that brings up mucus. Mucus is also called phlegm or sputum. Coughs can be either acute or chronic: Acute coughs usually begin suddenly. They are often due to a cold, flu, or sinus infection. They usually go away after 2 to 3 weeks; Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks.
Source:ADAM
Date:January 18, 2008
Coughs, those mini-explosions in your throat, are valuable weapons in your body's self-defense arsenal. Their assignment: keep airways clear by quickly expelling intruders from the lower respiratory system -- principally your throat and upper lungs. If dust, fluid, viruses, bacteria or even tumors block any part of this region, your cough reflex takes explosive action.
Source:StayWell
Your doctor should evaluate you if you are having symptoms that suggest a more serious cause, such as a bacterial infection, or if your symptoms aren't manageable with over-the-counter remedies or the passing of time.
Source:StayWell
A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
A cough is a forceful release of air from the lungs that can be heard. Coughing protects the respiratory system by clearing it of irritants and secretions.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Decreased urine output is defined as producing less than 500 milliliters of urine in 24 hours.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 23, 2007
Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day - often with a strong tendency to actually fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate times.
Source:ADAM
Date:October 31, 2007
Each year, at least 100,000 vehicular crashes and 1,550 deaths are caused by drivers who are impaired by sleepiness.
Source:StayWell
When drowsiness occurs most of the time or causes a person to fall asleep at inappropriate times, quality of life and performance can be affected.
Source:StayWell
Hypersomnia refers to a set of related disorders that involve excessive daytime sleepiness. There are two main categories of hypersomnia: primary hypersomnia (sometimes called idiopathic hypersomnia) and recurrent hypersomnia (sometimes called recurrent primary hypersomnia).
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
Edema is a condition of abnormally large fluid volume in the circulatory system or in tissues between the body ' s cells (interstitial spaces). Normally the body maintains a balance of fluid in tissues by ensuring that the same amount of water entering the body also leaves it.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Edema is the medical term for swelling. It is an abnormal retention of fluid in body tissue.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
The heart rate, usually measured by checking the arterial pulse or sounds counting the times of the heart beat, is considered one of the vital signs. Vital signs - body temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure provide information about the state of health of a person and, if abnormal, offer clues to problems.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about rapid heart beat.
Source:StayWell
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 17, 2007
Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress , medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease. Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Boosting Your Energy provides information on the causes and treatments of persistent fatigue. Includes information on aging and energy, eating for energy, and boosting your energy.
Source:StayWell
Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the context of health and illness.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
If you regularly feel weary after waking from a good night’s sleep or for no apparent reason, it’s time to find out why.
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: TreatmentIf the fatigue is related to a decrease in hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, then replacing the red blood cells by transfusion or taking erythropoietin can help reduce fatigue. If the fatigue is not related to...
Source:StayWell
Introduction Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the context of health and illness.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress , medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease. Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or loss of strength. The duration of fatigue for a patient with cancer has been found to last from one to two times the length of time between diagnosis and completion of treatment, so it is common for fatigue to persist beyond a patient ' s treatment regimen.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Fatigue: ManagementIf the person on chemotherapy has decreased hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and it seems like the low hemoglobin level will last for a while, then a medicine called PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa) may be prescribed...
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: CausesWe currently understand some of the causes of fatigue but not all of them. Fatigue may be related to physical changes caused by cancer or its treatment (chemotherapy, biotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery).
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: DefinitionFatigue is a vague feeling of being tired, weak, or exhausted. It is often a symptom of cancer, when cancer is first diagnosed, or when cancer progresses (Ferrell et al, 1996).
Source:StayWell
Many people experience late-in-the-day energy lags, but you can take steps to prevent them.
Source:StayWell
Oncology: Managing FatigueFatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can be caused by worry, lack of sleep, and poor appetite.
Source:StayWell
Electrical impulses causes the heart to pump. Normally the impulse originates in the right upper chamber of the heart, called the right atrium. The electrical
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
Electrical system problems of the heart may make the atria beat faster than normal. If the atria beat quickly, but still evenly, it is called atrial flutter. If the atria beat very quickly and unevenly, it is called atrial fibrillation.
Source:StayWell
The heart rate, usually measured by checking the arterial pulse or sounds counting the times of the heart beat, is considered one of the vital signs. Vital signs - body temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure provide information about the state of health of a person and, if abnormal,offer clues to problems.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
Hypertension is the term doctors use for high blood pressure. Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as 2 numbers. For example, 140 over 90 (written as 140/90. The top number is your systolic pressure, the pressure created when your heart beats. It is considered high if it is consistently over 140; The bottom number is your diastolic pressure, the pressure inside blood vessels when the heart is at rest. It is considered high if it is consistently over 90. Either or both of these numbers may be too high. Pre-hypertension is when your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 139 or your diastolic blood pressure is between 80 and 89 on multiple readings. If you have pre-hypertension, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure at some point. See also: Blood pressure
Source:ADAM
Date:June 4, 2007
Blood pressure is the force with which blood pushes against the artery walls as it travels through the body. Like air in a balloon, blood fills arteries to a certain capacity- and just as too much air pressure can cause damage to a balloon, too much blood pressure can harm healthy arteries.
Source:Gale Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
Source:StayWell
Also known as high blood pressure, a condition in which too much force is exerted by the blood as it travels through the body ' s arteries. There are two types of hypertension: primary and secondary.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
Knowing the definitions of terms your doctor may use when talking with you about your blood pressure is important.
Source:StayWell
Each day that your blood pressure is too high, your chances of having a stroke are increased.
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
Source:StayWell
This report explains what your blood pressure numbers mean and how hypertension can be prevented and treated by making diet and lifestyle changes. Also includes information on medications.
Source:StayWell
High blood pressure is a sneaky ailment. The condition has no symptoms that you can see or feel. Having your blood pressure checked is the only way to know if it is high.
Source:StayWell
Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
High blood pressure has joined type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol on a list of ailments that once struck only adults but now afflict children.
Source:StayWell
When I get up in the morning, my systolic blood pressure is 30 to 50 points higher than it is later in the day (about 110). I am taking three different blood pressure medications. Is this unusual?
Source:StayWell
High blood pressure is more common among African Americans than other ethnic groups. Nearly 40 percent of non-Hispanic blacks have hypertension.
Source:StayWell
Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don’t take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
Source:StayWell
The National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) was established in 1972 by the National Institute of Health to translate research results on the health hazards of high blood pressure into clinical and public health practice. Before 1900, high blood pressure, or hypertension, was not generally recognized as a health problem.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
Did you know you can purchase your own blood pressure monitor and check the reading yourself at home?
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on high blood pressure, also called hypertension, including symptoms, diagnostic, and treatment information
Source:StayWell
Is it absolutely necessary for a diabetic who does not have high blood pressure to take a blood pressure pill anyway?
Source:StayWell
While people with high blood pressure are typically told to abstain from alcohol, a study suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may help prevent them from having a heart attack.
Source:StayWell
A Harvard Medical School doctor discusses possible causes of low blood pressure.
Source:StayWell
A healthy blood pressure level can reduce your risk for many serious diseases and increase your longevity.
Source:StayWell
What causes high blood pressure in a 4-year-old? Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
Source:StayWell
The FDA has approved a new blood pressure drug that works by inhibiting hte production of renin, a substance made by the kidneys that is the first step in the body's system of regulating blood pressure.
Source:StayWell
Risk factors are things that make you more likely to have a disease or condition. Do you know your risk factors for high blood pressure?
Source:StayWell
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common chronic adult illness in the United States. There is no cure for high blood pressure, but it can be controlled.
Source:StayWell
High blood pressure (hypertension) is called the silent killer. This is because many people who have it don’t know it. You can take an easy test to see if your blood pressure is too high. If it is high, you can take steps to lower it. Doing so could save your life.
Source:StayWell
Even if your blood pressure is normal or high-normal, you're still at increased risk for hypertension (high blood pressure), the condition in which your heart works too hard and the resulting forceful blood flow harms arteries.
Source:StayWell
Prehypertension is a new term that alerts people to the very real risk of developing chronic high blood pressure if they don't take timely steps to improve their lifestyle habits.
Source:StayWell
For those living with high blood pressure, lifestyle changes such as eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, and losing weight will likely have a positive effect not just on blood pressure, but on overall health.
Source:StayWell
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, isn't limited to those 18 and older.
Source:StayWell
In most cases, high blood pressure responds to treatment, but the success of the treatment is up to you.
Source:StayWell
If you have high blood pressure, you need to know, so you can control it. If you don't, you increase your risk for serious illness.
Source:StayWell
High blood pressure can contribute to sexual problems, as can some treatments for it.
Source:StayWell
The number of Americans with high blood pressure has risen steadily since the 1960s, and now tops 65 million.
Source:StayWell
Is it possible for a blockage in the kidneys to cause high blood pressure? What type of blockage would there be in a kidney?
Source:StayWell
This HealthSheet was discontinued in quarter 1 of 2006. (also 83203 Spanish) Replaced with: (same title) 85660 English – 85661 Spanish
Source:StayWell
Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
A study reports that if the vertebra that supports the skull is misaligned, careful manipulation of it may result in a significant drop in blood pressure.
Source:StayWell
Isolated systolic hypertension, when the systolic blood pressure is above 140 while the diastolic pressure is below 90, is caused by stiffening of large arteries. Medication may be prescribed, but lifestyle changes will have more impact on overall health.
Source:StayWell
Hypertension is high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
An old theory about the connection between headache and high blood pressure makes a comeback.
Source:StayWell
The category of prehypertension was established to serve as a warning. Those whose blood pressure reading falls in it should work to lower their pressure through diet, exercise, and weight control, though in some cases medication may be prescribed.
Source:StayWell
Hypertension is high blood pressure . Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries as it flows through them.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
If your blood pressure has been very good for most of your life and then suddenly rises to a dangerous level, could there be an infection or some other medical condition that caused the sudden jump?
Source:StayWell
Anorexia is characterized by a loss of appetite or lack of desire to eat. Anorexia is common in cancer patients with reported incidence between 15% and 40%.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Detailed information on anorexia, including causes, characteristics, types, diagnosis, treatment, complications, and prevention
Source:StayWell
Appetite StimulationSymptom and Description Loss of appetite is a loss of the desire to eat. Not eating can lead to weight loss.
Source:StayWell
Your loss of appetite may be because of anxiety or depression, aging, medications or a health concern.
Source:StayWell
A harvard Medical school physician answers your question about the prevalence of anorexia in men, and discusses the biological and environmental factors that influence the disorder in both sexes.
Source:StayWell
Women suffering from anorexia nervosa may benefit more from general support than in-depth therapy, according to a recent study.
Source:StayWell
Excessive urination at night is a condition in which you wake up several times during the night to urinate. Waking up several times a night to urinate is called nocturia.
Source:ADAM
Date:June 5, 2007
Palpitations are heartbeat sensations that feel like your heart is pounding or racing. You may simply have an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat, or may feel skipped or stopped beats. The heart's rhythm may be normal or abnormal. Palpitations can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. See also: Arrhythmia
Source:ADAM
Date:May 1, 2008
A sensation in which a person is aware of an irregular, hard, or rapid heartbeat. Palpitations mean that the heart is not behaving normally.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
There are many possible causes of heart palpitations, including smoking, stress, and some medications. Though they are typically not serious or life-threatening, it can be difficult to determine the underlying cause.
Source:StayWell
Breathing difficulties involve a sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing or a feeling of not getting enough air. See also difficulty breathing - first aid.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 12, 2007
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a feeling of difficult or labored breathing that is out of proportion to the patient ' s level of physical activity. It is a symptom of a variety of different diseases or disorders and may be either acute or chronic.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Struggling to Breathe: A Nurse’s Tips for Managing DyspneaDyspnea is the technical word for difficulty breathing. It's a common symptom in people who have lung cancer or have cancer that has spread to the lungs.
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on the most common breathing problems in a newborn
Source:StayWell
Severe shortness of breath and shortness of breath accompanied by certain symptoms requires immediate medical attention.
Source:StayWell
If your child cannot seem to get enough breath in his lungs (shortness of breath) or is having a hard time breathing, he probably has a medical condition that needs treatment. If your child is old enough to talk, he can tell you that he is having difficulty breathing. If your child is younger, you may notice that he is breathing harder or faster than usual, isn't feeding well, or is cranky.
Source:StayWell