Also called: Dilated cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Myocardiopathy, Restrictive cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is the name for diseases of the heart muscle. These diseases enlarge your heart muscle or make it thicker and more rigid than normal. In rare cases, scar tissue replaces the muscle tissue.
Some people live long, healthy lives with cardiomyopathy. Some people don’t even realize they have it. In others, however, it can make the heart less able to pump blood through the body. This can cause serious complications, including
Heart attacks, high blood pressure, infections, and other diseases can all cause cardiomyopathy. Some types of cardiomyopathy run in families. In many people, however, the cause is unknown. Treatment might involve medicines, surgery, other medical procedures, and lifestyle changes.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. More than 60 million people in the U.S. have the parasite. Most of them don’t get sick. But the parasite causes serious problems for some people. These include people with weak immune systems and babies whose mothers become infected for the first time during pregnancy. Problems can include damage to the brain, eyes, and other organs.
You can get toxoplasmosis from
- Waste from an infected cat
- Eating contaminated meat that is raw or not well cooked
- Using utensils or cutting boards after they’ve had contact with contaminated raw meat
- Drinking infected water
- Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion
Most people with toxoplasmosis don’t need treatment. There are drugs to treat it for pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention