Enlargement of the left atrium of the heart is a measurement of the size of the left atrial internal diameter that exceeds the normal range.
Enlargement of the left atrium of the heart usually occurs when the long-axis section of the left atrium is monitored during a cardiac ultrasound examination, and the internal diameter of the left atrium exceeds 20-40 mm in long-axis view.
In mild left atrial enlargement, patients usually have no obvious discomfort. If severe enlargement is likely to cause cardiac insufficiency, patients may experience symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, decreased activity endurance, inability to lie down at night, and signs such as edema in the low-hanging parts of the body.
The causes of enlarged left atrium of the heart include long-term high blood pressure, mitral stenosis, mitral valve closure insufficiency and so on. Once an enlarged left atrium of the heart is detected, cardiac ultrasound should be reviewed regularly according to the specific severity and the primary disease should be treated actively.
If patients with enlarged left atrium have symptoms of cardiac insufficiency, they should be treated with diuretic and vasodilator drugs, such as spironolactone, captopril, metoprolol, etc., as prescribed by the doctor, or mitral valve replacement, mitral valve repair, etc., in order to treat the primary disease, delay the process of further enlargement of the heart, and minimize the adverse consequences of the patients’ enlarged left atrium.
Please consult the doctor in time for professional treatment or regular follow-up if you have found an enlarged left atrium.