The heart is unable to regenerate heart muscle after a heart attack and lost cardiac muscle is replaced by scar tissue. Scar tissue does not contribute to cardiac contractile force and the remaining viable cardiac muscle is thus subject to a greater hemodynamic burden.
Can you fully recover from a damaged heart muscle?
The answer is most likely yes. The heart muscle begins to heal soon after a heart attack. It usually takes about eight weeks to heal. Scar tissue may form in the damaged area, and that scar tissue does not contract or pump as well as healthy muscle tissue.
What happens if the cardiac muscle is damaged?
If too many heart muscle cells are damaged, the heart muscle becomes weakened. In some cases, this process happens very quickly and results in heart failure or even sudden death. More often, the heart tries to heal itself by changing the damaged or dead heart muscle cells into scar tissue.
Can a damaged heart muscle be strengthened?
When heart muscle dies, scar tissue typically forms in the area. If the muscle is only dormant, however, doctors can try to restore blood flow by reopening your artery, reviving the muscle and strengthening your heart's function, Dr. Jaber says.
What can be done for heart muscle damage?
Medications, including medications used to treat high blood pressure, prevent water retention, keep the heart beating with a normal rhythm, prevent blood clots, and reduce inflammation. Surgically implanted devices, like pacemakers and defibrillators.
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Can damaged heart repair itself?Can a weakened heart muscle be strengthened?