Cardiac Murmurs

Heart murmurs are the sounds heard during the heartbeat. These sounds are heard with a stethoscope. A normal heartbeat makes two sounds like "lub-dup," which are the closing sounds of your heart valves.

Heart murmurs can be heard at any age. Murmurs heard in the heart are not a disease, but may indicate an underlying heart disease.

Most of the time, if there is no underlying heart disease, these heart murmurs are called innocent or harmless murmurs. For heart murmurs, some tests may be required to make sure that the murmur is not caused by an underlying heart disease. After these tests, if there is a heart disease that causes the murmur, treatment is planned for it.

Symptoms

If you have a harmless heart murmur, more commonly it is an innocent heart murmur. If you are known to have a heart murmur, you probably won't have any other signs or symptoms.

If you have signs or symptoms in addition to an abnormal heart murmur, the unusual sound your doctor hears when your heart is listened to with a stethoscope, it may indicate that you have a heart problem:

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• Skin that looks blue, especially on your fingertips and lips (cyanosis)

• Shortness of breath

• Chronic cough

• Enlargement of the liver

• Prominent neck veins

• Anorexia and growth and development retardation (in babies)

• Excessive sweating

• Chest pain

• Dizziness

• Fainting

When should you consult a doctor?

Most heart murmurs are not serious, but if you think you or your child has a heart murmur, make an appointment to see your pediatrician. Your doctor can tell you whether your heart murmur is innocent and requires further treatment or if an underlying heart problem needs further investigation.

Causes

There are two types of heart murmur: innocent. murmurs and abnormal murmurs. A person with an innocent murmur has a normal heart. This type of heart murmur was common in newborns and children r.

An abnormal heart murmur is more serious. Abnormal murmurs in children are often caused by congenital heart disease. In adults, abnormal murmurs are often caused by acquired heart valve problems.

Innocent heart murmurs

An innocent murmur may occur when blood flows through the heart faster than normal. Conditions that can cause rapid blood flow through the heart and cause an innocent heart murmur include:

• Increased physical activity or exercise

• Fever

• Anemia

• The thyroid gland works more than normal (hyperthyroidism)

• Rapid growth phases such as adolescence

Innocent heart murmurs may disappear over time or continue throughout your life without causing further health problems.

Abnormal heart. Murmurs

The most common cause of abnormal murmurs in children is congenital heart disease. Common congenital defects that cause heart murmurs include:

• Heart holes or heart shunts. Holes in the heart, known as septal defects, may or may not be serious, depending on the size and location of the hole. Heart shunts occur when there is abnormal blood flow between heart chambers or blood vessels, which can cause a heart murmur.

• Heart valve abnormalities. Congenital heart valve abnormalities are found at birth but sometimes are not discovered until later in life. For example, valve leakage and valve regurgitation

Other causes of abnormal heart murmurs include infections that damage the structures of the heart and are more common in older children or adults. For example:

• Endocarditis. This infection of the inner lining of your heart and valve occurs when bacteria or other germs, usually from another part of your body, spread and settle in your heart. If left untreated, endocarditis can damage or destroy your heart valves. This condition is usually seen in people with heart valve abnormalities.

• Rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever, a streptococcal throat infection It is a serious condition that can occur if you do not receive complete treatment. It may permanently affect the heart valves.

Risk factors

Causes that increase the risk of a pathological heart murmur;

• Family history. If close relatives have a heart defect, this increases the chance that you or your child will have a heart defect.

• High blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, infection of the heart lining (endocarditis), high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), Certain medical conditions including hypereosinophilic syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, a weakened heart muscle, or a history of rheumatic fever

• Illnesses during pregnancy. Having certain conditions during pregnancy, such as uncontrolled diabetes or rubella infection, increases your baby's risk of developing heart defects and heart murmurs.

• Taking certain medications or illegal drugs during pregnancy.

Prevention

While there is not much you can do to prevent a heart murmur, it is reassuring to know that heart murmurs are not a disease and are harmless unless there is underlying heart disease.

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