What e the symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?
Symptoms largely depend on how severe the thickening is, and where it occurs in the heart. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and some people have no symptoms. Symptoms may develop at any stage in life, even though you may have had the condition for a number of years. Possible symptoms include: • Breathlessness (shortness of breath). This may develop only when you exercise if the condition is mild. In more severe cases you can be breathless at rest. • Chest pain (angina). This may develop only when you exercise, but can also occur at rest in severe cases. The pain occurs because the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle is not sufficient to meet the demands of the thickened muscle. • Palpitations. You may have an increased awareness of your heartbeat. Arrhythmias develop in some cases which can cause palpitations. • Dizziness and fainting attacks. This more commonly occurs when you exercise, but may occur when you are resting. This may be due to a reduced output of blood
