Cardiomyopathy  - Symptoms

Initially you may not feel any  symptoms related to dilated cardiomyopathy, or there may be mild symptoms of  weakness and fatigue.

Eventually, you may develop heart failure. Symptoms of heart failure can develop gradually, over months or years. In other instances, heart failure may develop suddenly, such as after a viral infection or pregnancy. 

Symptoms of  Heart Failure 

Typically,  symptoms of heart failure develop gradually  and may include:

• Weakness and fatigue. 
• Difficulty breathing and/or wheezing during normal activities  or exercise that did not cause breathing problems in the past. 
• Shortness of breath. 
• A dry, hacking cough, especially when lying down. 
• Fluid buildup (edema), especially in  the legs, ankles, and feet.
• Dizziness, fainting, or feeling tired or weak. 
• Heart palpitations. 
• Rapid weight gain caused by water retention. 
• Increased urination at night. 
• Abdominal swelling, tenderness, or pain, which may result from a buildup of fluid in the body (ascites)  and blood that backs up in the liver. 

• Severe shortness of breath. 
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat. 
• Coughing up foamy, pink mucus. 

• Pulmonary edema, which is rapid fluid buildup in the lungs. 
• Arrhythmias, which are  abnormal heart rhythms that can cause loss of consciousness  or sudden death. 
• Blood clots inside  the heart, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. 

Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common type of cardiomyopathy.

Other forms of cardiomyopathy include restrictive cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle gets stiff, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle is thickened and cannot relax very well. For more information, see the topics Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy.