What Are the Symptoms of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?
Many people with HCM have no symptoms or only minor symptoms, and live a normal life. Other people develop symptoms, which progress and worsen as heart function worsens. Symptoms of HCM can occur at any age and may include: • Chest pain or pressure (occurs usually with exercise or physical activity, but can also occur with rest or after meals). • Shortness of breath (dyspnea), especially with exertion. • Fatigue (feeling overly tired). • Fainting (caused by irregular heart rhythms, abnormal responses of the blood vessels during exercise, or no cause may be found). • Palpitations (fluttering in the chest) due to abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), such as atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. • Sudden death occurs in a small number of patients with HCM.
