Contents:
- Medical Video: Understanding Heart Murmurs, Aortic and Mitral Valve Problems
- What is a heart murmur?
- Are there any signs or symptoms of a heart murmur?
- What are the causes of a heart murmur?
- 1. Non-disease heart murmur
- 2. An abnormal heart murmur
- Risk factors for heart murmurs
Medical Video: Understanding Heart Murmurs, Aortic and Mitral Valve Problems
A murmur is a heart sound that arises due to abnormal turbulence or blood flow. It may be due to heart problems, or maybe a condition that makes your heart beat fast and forces your heart to handle more blood faster than usual. Is this heart murmur dangerous? What are the causes? Here's the full explanation.
What is a heart murmur?
A heart murmur is a condition in which there is a sound of puffs or whistles that arise when blood flow through the heart or blood vessels around the heart is abnormal or experiences turbulence. The murmur can be heard with a stethoscope. A normal heart rate makes two sounds like "hole", which is the sound of your valve.
Most heart murmurs are harmless and do not require any treatment. However, there are exceptions, a murmur can be a symptom of a heart problem, such as a damaged heart valve or too much work. Some people are also born with heart valve disorders, and others consider this as part of aging or other heart problems.
Therefore, you may need further testing to make sure the murmur is not caused by a serious heart condition.
Are there any signs or symptoms of a heart murmur?
If you have a heart murmur that is harmless, or more commonly known as a non-disease heart murmur, chances are you will not have other signs or symptoms.
Whereas if you have an abnormal heart murmur, you may experience the following signs or symptoms.
- Skin that looks blue, especially at the fingertips and lips.
- Swelling or sudden weight gain.
- Hard to breathe.
- Chronic cough.
- Enlargement of the heart.
- Enlarged veins in the neck.
- Lack of appetite and failure to grow normally (in infants).
- Chest pain.
- Dizzy.
- Fainted.
Most of these conditions are not serious, but if you suspect you or your child has a heart murmur, consult a doctor immediately. Your doctor can tell if your heart murmur is not at risk for other heart problems and does not require further treatment. Or if the underlying heart problem needs to be examined further.
What are the causes of a heart murmur?
1. Non-disease heart murmur
A person with this type of murmur has a normal heart. This murmur is commonly found in infants and children. This type can occur when blood flows faster than normal through the heart. Conditions that can cause rapid blood flow through your heart, resulting in a harmless heart murmur, including:
- Physical activity or exercise
- Pregnancy
- Fever
- Anemia
- Hyperthyroidism
- High blood pressure
- The growth phase is fast, like adolescence
This heart murmur may disappear over time, or it can last for the rest of your life without causing further health problems.
2. An abnormal heart murmur
This type of murmur can be more serious and requires treatment. In children, abnormal murmurs are usually caused by congenital heart disease. In adults, abnormal murmurs most often occur due to heart valve problems.
The most common cause of abnormal murmurs in children is when babies are born with structural problems of the heart (congenital heart defects), including:
- Hole in the heart or heart shunts. It is known as a heart leak, which is a hole in the septum / barrier between the porch and the heart chamber. The hole in the heart can be serious and not, it depends on the size of the hole and its location.
- Heart valve abnormalities. Congenital heart valve abnormalities are congenital abnormalities, but sometimes they have not been found to adulthood. This includes the thickened and narrowed aortic valve (stenosis) or atup does not close properly (regurgitation).
Other causes of abnormal murmurs are infections and conditions that damage the structure of the heart and are more common in children or the elderly.
- Valve calcification. Hardening or thickening of this valve, such as mitral stenosis or aortic valve stenosis, can occur with age. The valve can become narrow (stenotic), making it difficult for blood to flow into your heart, causing a murmur.
- Endocarditis. Infection of the inner lining of your heart and valve usually occurs when bacteria or other germs from other parts of your body, such as your mouth, spread through the bloodstream and enter your heart. when not treated, endocarditis can damage or destroy your heart valve. This condition usually occurs in people who already have heart valve abnormalities.
Risk factors for heart murmurs
- Family history of heart defects.
- Certain medical conditions. These include hypertension, hyperthyroidism, infection of the heart layer (endocarditis), high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), carcinoid syndrome, hyperosinophilic syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, weak heart muscle or a history of rheumatic fever. can increase the risk of a heart murmur later in life.
Factors that increase a baby's risk of developing a heart murmur include:
- Have several conditions during pregnancy, such as uncontrolled diabetes or rubella infection. This condition can increase a baby's risk of heart defects and a heart murmur
- Take certain drugs or illegal drugs during pregnancy. The use of certain drugs or alcohol can harm a developing baby, which then causes damage to the heart.
