A heart murmur is just an atypical or extra sound in the regular beat of a person or animal. When your doctor, by using their stethoscope, detects unusual or additional sounds, it's only natural to be concerned. It's good to know though that the majority are harmless, unrelated to any heart disease and are really quite common. Murmurs don't produce symptoms, and you could have had these sounds for years without detection or it causing you any problems.
Murmurs are very often heard in perfectly healthy children. Though the thought of a congenital defect sounds frightening, it's by no means uncommon or a cause for worry. When they are detected as a new pathology in adults, however, so as a new 'symptom', there may be an underlying cause. This is especially true if there are other symptoms of heart disease.
It's vital to understand what creates these sounds. A normal beat has two separate noises, audible only through a stethoscope, sometimes described as a 'lub dub'. This sound is made by two valves closing like doors one after the other, as blood is pumped inside the organ. When murmurs occur, there may be an extra sound. When your blood doesn't flow smoothly through your valves, a physician will pick up sounds of turbulence.
This may be, but certainly isn't always, because of damage to the organ valves. These valves may be affected by lots of conditions, including aging alone, certain diseases and infections. It's very important to keep hold of the fact that the condition, on it's own is not a disease. It may, however, be created by one.
An innocent, sometimes called a functional murmur, doesn't need medical treatment, is asymptomatic and harmless. You won't need to radically change your diet or limit physical activities. Though, it goes without saying, healthy diets and regular good exercise will help protect you from other heart disease. So also does not being stressed, so try not to be anxious when a physician tells you there is a murmur present.
The treatment, if the problem suddenly does occur anew depends on the underlying cause. Relatively uncomplicated conditions that are easily resolved which can cause such a condition include a high fever, hyperthyroid conditions, anemia and even pregnancy. Though the last can take a good nine months to resolve!
Diseases that need quick detection and even surgery include Endocarditis, a hole, Valve Sclerosis, Stenosis and regurgitation. The valve conditions labeled here represent abnormal valve conditions. You rarely detect the condition by yourself, but just be aware of your physical health and seek immediate advice on suffering chest pains or shortness of breath.
Infections that can harm the valves can be as simple as Strep Throat, or as rare as the now almost eradicated rheumatic fever. An easy course of strong antibiotics is the usual prescription. Children who are born with major heart irregularities or with holes in the organ tend to have surgery when they're still babies. The underlined message, from all doctors, is that a heart murmur is in very many cases innocent, benign, not requiring treatment and not something to be worried over.
Murmurs are very often heard in perfectly healthy children. Though the thought of a congenital defect sounds frightening, it's by no means uncommon or a cause for worry. When they are detected as a new pathology in adults, however, so as a new 'symptom', there may be an underlying cause. This is especially true if there are other symptoms of heart disease.
It's vital to understand what creates these sounds. A normal beat has two separate noises, audible only through a stethoscope, sometimes described as a 'lub dub'. This sound is made by two valves closing like doors one after the other, as blood is pumped inside the organ. When murmurs occur, there may be an extra sound. When your blood doesn't flow smoothly through your valves, a physician will pick up sounds of turbulence.
This may be, but certainly isn't always, because of damage to the organ valves. These valves may be affected by lots of conditions, including aging alone, certain diseases and infections. It's very important to keep hold of the fact that the condition, on it's own is not a disease. It may, however, be created by one.
An innocent, sometimes called a functional murmur, doesn't need medical treatment, is asymptomatic and harmless. You won't need to radically change your diet or limit physical activities. Though, it goes without saying, healthy diets and regular good exercise will help protect you from other heart disease. So also does not being stressed, so try not to be anxious when a physician tells you there is a murmur present.
The treatment, if the problem suddenly does occur anew depends on the underlying cause. Relatively uncomplicated conditions that are easily resolved which can cause such a condition include a high fever, hyperthyroid conditions, anemia and even pregnancy. Though the last can take a good nine months to resolve!
Diseases that need quick detection and even surgery include Endocarditis, a hole, Valve Sclerosis, Stenosis and regurgitation. The valve conditions labeled here represent abnormal valve conditions. You rarely detect the condition by yourself, but just be aware of your physical health and seek immediate advice on suffering chest pains or shortness of breath.
Infections that can harm the valves can be as simple as Strep Throat, or as rare as the now almost eradicated rheumatic fever. An easy course of strong antibiotics is the usual prescription. Children who are born with major heart irregularities or with holes in the organ tend to have surgery when they're still babies. The underlined message, from all doctors, is that a heart murmur is in very many cases innocent, benign, not requiring treatment and not something to be worried over.
By Brian Buxton
About the Author:
Get more information about the importance of knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart murmur by visiting our www.heartmurmurinfo.com. You can find details about health issues and the steps you can take to keep your heart healthy today!
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