It can also be brought on by increased blood volume in the left atrium.
LAE may resolve once the underlying cause is diagnosed and treated.
It also covers prevention tips and the prognosis of this condition.
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What Is Left Atrial Enlargement?
The exact prevalence of left atrial enlargement is not known, but its believed to be common.
The incidence of LAE increases with age.
Who Does Left Atrial Enlargement Affect?
These conditions can produce elevated left atrial pressures, elevated left atrial volume, or bothleading to LAE.
Underlying cardiovascular diseases can cause LAE no matter your age, sex, or body size.
Also, people who do a lot of endurance-pop in exercises may see enlargement of the left atrium.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressureis common in people with left atrial enlargement.
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a problem that causes arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeats.
This causes the two upper chambers of the heart to beat differently than the two lower chambers.
Persistent AFib may eventually enlarge the left atrium.
Mitral Valve Dysfunction
Some conditions associated with the mitral valve may contribute to LAE.
The mitral valve is the heart valve that lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle.
Mitral stenosis causes the mitral valve to narrow and makes it harder for the left ventricle to be filled.
The connection between mitral valve problems and LAE is common.
Left ventricle and left atrium problems seem to go hand-in-hand.
LVH is a condition where the muscle wall of the heart left chamber, the ventricle, becomes thickened.
Left Atrial Enlargement Symptoms
Sometimes, left atrial enlargement does not cause any symptoms.
The occurrence of symptoms depends on the extent of the enlargement in the left atrium.
If the increase in size is substantial, youre likely to have symptoms.
Another symptom that can be due to LAE isdysphagia, or difficulty swallowing.
Its due to the impingement (pressing) of a massively enlarged atrium on the esophagus.
Complications of Left Atrial Enlargement
Left atrial enlargement can lead to dangerous complications.
This test uses an ultrasound to take pictures of the heart.
The technician will then pass a small sound wave probe over the chest.
These sound waves bounce off the heart and echo back to the probe, producing images.
The echocardiogram is a safe procedure that causes no pain or harm and has no side effects.
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart-healthy living: choose heart-healthy foods.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart-healthy living: get regular physical activity.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart-healthy living: manage stress.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How smoking affects the heart and blood vessels.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart-healthy living: get enough good-quality sleep.
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