No info on 'severely dilated left atrium' .

[Heidimairim]

Had a ?ministroke? October 2017 , rushed to hospital from walk-in clinic , both detected heart murmur with stethoscopes . Had 1 day ECG , then saw consultant in Stroke Clinic , abnormal rhythm but no appointment with Cardiologist . Then 7 day ECG & got a copied letter to my GP saying the Doppler echocardiogram showed Severely Dilated Left Atrium . No explanation of this on the BHF website . What are the symptoms , is it dangerous/progressive , what next ?

[Emily_BHF]

Hi Heidimairim,

The left atrium is one of the four chambers of the heart. It’s located in the upper half of the heart and on the left side of your body.Some people with an enlarged left atrium may not experience any symptoms. If you do experience symptoms, they may include:

•shortness of breath

•arrhythmia (abnormal heart beat)

•swelling

•chest pain

•fainting

The following factors can influence the size of the left atrium:

•Age. Changes that occur to your body as you age can influence the size of the left atrium.

•Gender. Men typically have a larger left atrium than women.

•Body size. The size of the left atrium increases with body size

It can be also be caused by hypertension, dysfunction of the mitral valve or dysfunction of the left ventricle. Once left atrial enlargement has occurred, treatment revolves around addressing the factors that caused it. This may involve medication, reducing salt intake, rhythm control medication and anticoagulants. If the enlargement is caused by valve problems, this can sometimes also involve surgical intervention or mitral valve replacement in serious cases. There is lots of information about valve surgery on our website.

There are many treatments for the conditions that cause left atrial enlargement. These range from medications and lifestyle changes to surgical interventions. It’s important to remember that treatment of this condition goes hand in hand with treating the conditions that caused it.

I would make an appointment to discuss this with your GP to see what investigations you will be having next and following this, any change in your treatment plan.

Take care,

Emily