A heart murmur sounds alarming, but it’s not necessarily a cause for concern. However, your doctor should immediately assess any heart activity or function change. At CardioVascular Health Clinic, we provide complete heart care, helping patients maintain and improve their heart health.
With each heartbeat, your heart valves open and close. This function enables blood flow throughout your body. As the heart valves open and close normally, they make two distinct sounds: Sound One (S1) and Sound Two (S2), commonly known as "lub-dub." However, a sloshing or whooshing sound means blood is flowing across the valves, indicating a heart murmur.
Most people experience a heart murmur at some point in their lives -- typically childhood, but it can also happen during adulthood. It’s important to note that a heart murmur alone is not an indication of heart disease or another heart problem; blood flow through the heart can sometimes be turbulent with no underlying medical cause. Innocent heart murmurs can subside and recur; they often become louder with a faster heartbeat. While some resolve on their own, others might never disappear entirely. Innocent heart murmurs can occur in the following circumstances:
Types of Heart Murmurs
Heart murmurs are grouped according to when they occur during a heartbeat:
Diastolic and continuous murmurs are more commonly linked to heart disease-related abnormalities. Nevertheless, your doctor should evaluate any heart murmur regardless of type.
Heart Murmur Volume
A heart murmur isn't audible to the naked ear; to detect a heart murmur, a physician must use a stethoscope to amplify the sound significantly.
Heart murmurs are classified by their volume. Heart murmurs are graded on a numeric scale between one and six. Grade 1 is a murmur that is barely detectable even with a stethoscope. Grade 6 is an audible murmur even when the stethoscope isn't pressed against the skin.
Heart murmurs can be caused by several medical conditions, which might include the following:
A heart murmur can only be diagnosed during a medical exam; many people don't experience heart murmur symptoms. Innocent heart murmurs can appear sporadically and resolve on their own. However, if an underlying medical condition triggers a heart murmur, that condition might cause symptoms that your doctor should assess.
Symptoms of related medical conditions include:
Treatment for a heart murmur can vary depending on the cause. Your physician will conduct tests to determine the underlying cause if a potentially serious medical condition is suspected.
Treatment protocols might involve medications that address hormonal imbalances (hyperthyroidism) or iron deficiency (anemia). However, surgical intervention might be necessary if a structural abnormality is identified.
If you experience certain symptoms – blue skin, loss of consciousness, or chest pain – you should have an immediate medical evaluation. If you have concerns about your heart health or are experiencing symptoms of a potential medical problem, please don’t hesitate to contact our helpful representatives to schedule a thorough evaluation.
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