Heart Murmurs
Heart murmurs are abnormal sounds made by heart due to turbulent flow of blood that does not produce audible noise. In most of the cases, heart murmurs result from narrowing or leaking of the heart valves or the abnormal passages where blood flows near the heart.
Heart murmurs can be detected by putting a stethoscope to the chest. In some cases, they can be heard even without a stethoscope if they are too loud. If you have never experienced heart murmurs or any such thing, it might be quiet alarming and frightening for you. However, this condition is not fatal and can be controlled and treated with proper medication and care.
Causes of Heart Murmurs
The most common cause of heart murmurs are defective heart valves. A defective stenotic heart valve has a smaller opening than normal valves and does not open or closely completely.
This leads to regurgitation or the backflow of blood through a defective heart valve.
Other causes of heart murmurs include conditions like:
- Pregnancy
- Fever
- Hyperthyroidism – disease of an overactive thyroid gland
- Anemia
- Over exertion
- Valve abnormalities
- Rheumatic fever
- Holes in heart
Kinds of Heart Murmurs
There are two types of heart murmurs;
Diastolic murmurs: they occur when the heart muscles relax between the beats
Systolic murmurs: they occur when the heart muscles contract.
These murmurs are graded on intensity from 1 to 6. While 1/6 is very faint, 6/6 is extremely loud.
It is important to visit your doctor if you notice heart murmurs. It can be indication of something grave and important.
Your doctor will monitor the changes in heart murmurs and try to detect whether these murmurs change with activity or position or any other reason. It is important to notice these things as heart murmurs can increase in intensity. Thus, it is imperative that you keep a check on this condition.
Types of Heart Murmurs
Innocent Murmurs
These types of murmurs are called innocent murmurs as they pass on with the passage of time. They may occur though out the childhood and disappear as individual reaches adulthood.
Children who suffer from heart murmurs need to be assured that it is a completely harmless and innocent condition that will go away on its own as it can cause psychological fear of death.
It should be kept in mind that children who experience heart murmurs cannot take part in any psychical activities like their peers. They should not run and take stress as it can aggravate their condition.
Congenital Heart Defect
Heart murmurs can also be the congenital heart defect type. This makes heart murmurs a problem that needs to be taken seriously. It should be noted that defective valves are not only responsible for heart murmurs, there might be some structural defects causing heart murmurs.
Some may heal as a child grows up but others might persist and cause problems later on.
A child that has congenital heart defect is likely to have the following symptoms:
- rapid breathing
- eating problems
- cyanosis- when the lips turn blue
- Swelling
- enlarged liver
- enlarged neck veins
- heavy sweating
In adolescent, the symptoms include:
- fatigue
- problems in exercising
- physical exertion
- dizziness
- fainting
Leakage
A more serious type of heart murmurs is leakage. In this condition, the murmurs seem to be calm and this is something really alarming as it indicates that the leakage in the heart is more than normal. A large leakage in the heart means that the hole in the heart is indeed a large one that causes the blood to flow out of the vessel more easily.
Treating Heart Murmurs
Heart murmurs can be treated with surgery as well as medication. While an innocent heart murmur may not need medicine, the conditions that cause heart murmurs may need medication to cure them such as anemia and hyperthyroidism.
However, in severe conditions you may need proper treatment to cure heart murmurs.
Your doctor might prescribe you medicines that:
- Help the heart to squeeze hard
- Prevent blood clotting in the vessels
- Remove excess fluid from the body
- Keep your blood pressure in control
Surgery
Some of the surgical procedures for treating heart murmurs include:
- Patching a hole in your heart
- Fixing the heart valve
- Rebuilding a blood vessel
- Widening the narrowed vessel
In addition to these, you may need antibiotics and other medicines to avoid any infection. It is recommended that you consult your doctor before going for any other treatment or surgery.
Heart complications like heart murmurs are not to be taken lightly and proper care is advised. In some cases, you may not need treatment or hospitalization, but exertion and physical activity should be restricted to avoid pain or further complication. |
