What is a HEART MURMER?

Question

No silly replies please!
What is it, how serious is it, and can it be controlled?

Answer 1

A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound that results from the turbulent flow of blood through the heart. Heart murmurs are usually detected by a physician using a stethoscope to listen to the heartbeat. Most heart murmurs are harmless or “innocent,” which means they are not associated with a disease or condition of the heart. Many, if not most, children will have a heart murmur at some point in their lives.

However, heart murmurs may also be the result of an underlying heart condition, such as the narrowing of one of the heart’s four valves (valvular stenosis) or heart disease that has been present from birth (congenital heart disease).

The underlying cause of a heart murmur is usually diagnosed through painless tests such as an echocardiogram and (if necessary) a minimally invasive test such as a cardiac catheterization. A treatment plan will be designed based on the underlying condition.

Answer 2

The lunatic is right. I had a heart murmur since birth and was operated on at age 13 to repair the problem - an aortic valvotomy (sp?). I was told it would suffice for about 10 years and then I would most likely need a replacement valve. Well, that would have taken me to 1984 and I actually had the operation on Dec 30th 2004 - 20 extra years! I wasn't suffering any symptoms and have had 3 healthy children in the interim. They took me in to sort it out while I was feeling good and was likely to recover well. I did, and am better than ever having shed 24lbs I didn't need and am still losing weight and feeling good! If you have a murmur, or think you may have, then see the doctor and most of all DON'T WORRY.

Answer 3

There are different causes. I was born with one and it was one of the valves wasn't quite as big as it needed to be but by the time I was 8 it had caught up and I was given a clean bill of health.

Another form that my daughter was born with is when you are in the womb you have a hole in your heart that helps to shunt the fluid away from your lungs. When you take your first breath this hole is supposed to close but sometimes doesn't close right away or not all the way. They have also given her a clean bill of health because she has no signs that this is causing her any problems. Some of the things they look for is failure to thrive, breathing fast, chest pain, fatigue, blueness of the lips.

The cardiologist also explained to us that it is easier to hear murmurs in newborns because they have little extra tissue or fat between the stethoscope and their hearts.

Most cause are not serious and they say that most people will have a heart murmur at some point in their life but they will run tests on you just in case cause there are a few serious complications from some murmurs.

Answer 4

A healthy heart makes a "lub-dub" sound as it beats. A doctor listening to your heart with a stethoscope is listening for the normal "lub dub" sound made with each heartbeat. A heart murmur is an extra sound, such as a whooshing, in the heartbeat caused by irregular blood flow through the heart valves.
It may occur at different times during the "lub dub" cycle, such as between the two sounds (lub whoosh dub), after the second heart sound (lub dub whoosh) or throughout the sounds of the heart beating.
Though many murmurs are innocent, some may indicate serious heart problems. Some heart murmurs may be caused by blood flowing through a leaky or narrow heart valve. Murmurs can also be caused by increased blood flow across a valve as a result of medical conditions such as anemia or hypothyroidism. Congenital heart defects can also cause heart murmurs. These often can be repaired with surgery.
Heart murmurs can be heard through a stethoscope and often are detected during routine physical examinations. On further examination, your doctor may find that the heart murmur is innocent. If your heart murmur is related to more serious heart problems, your doctor may refer you to a heart specialist. Medication or surgery may be recommended to treat the underlying problem. With thorough examination and tests, your doctor should be able to tell what causes your heart murmur.I have one,which I was born with. I'm still here!

Answer 5

When my son was born, they saw a Heart murmur on the EKG. It went away shortly and has never happened again. The Dr. said that many people have them and don't even know. It is almost like a stutter in your heart beat that happens every once in a while. You can't control it because your heart works on it's own. You can't feel it. If you have had one you would only know by going to the Dr. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Hi, it thinks its when your heart skips a few beats then carrys on, or it could beat too fast, i dont think its that serious but its best to get it checked out by a doctor, i think there is medication that you can take for it. It could be doing it for a reason so id get it check out as soon as possible coz your heart is very inportant.

Answer 7

It is a sound heard by the stethoscope other than the normal heart sounds. It can be innocent (i.e) no organic heart defect, or it can signify heart disease. A doctor can tell the difference.

Answer 8

It's basically an "echo" heartbeat and is quite common. I'm not sure of the technical name for the equipment, but on the graph that shows you your heartbeat (on screen), anything BELOW the horizontal line is a murmur.

Answer 9

I know what it is. it is a small hole in your heart. It Can not be controlled you have to live with it. Not that serious you can live a long healthy life if you can to.

Answer 10

Murmur-abnormal gentle blowing sound heard on auscultation of heart or great vessels. Some kind of heart murmurs are harmless where as some are serious.
Murmurs are called as
accidental m.-one due to the some temporary and insignificant circumstance.
anemic m.-one due to anemia.
aneurysmal m.-one due to aneurysm.
aortic m.-sound indicative of disease of the aortic valve.
apex m.-one heard over the apex of the heart.
arterial m.-one in an artery,sometimes aneurysmal and sometimes hemic.
blood m.-one due to an abnormal, commonly anemic condition of the blood.
cardiac m.-any adventitious sound heard over the region of the heart.
cardiopulmonary m.-one produced by the impact of the heart against the lung.
crescendo m.-a heart murmur increasing in pitch and force.
diastolic m.-one at diastole, due to mitral obstruction or to aortic or pulmonary regurgitation.
direct m.-one due to a roughened endocardium and contracted valvular orifice.
Duroziez m.-double murmur heard on compression of the femoral artery with the stethoscope, in aortic regurgitation and other conditions.
dynamic m.-one caused by irregular pulsation of the heart.
endocardial m.-one produced within the heart cavities.
exocardial m.-a heart murmur produced outside the heart cavities.
Flint's m.-a peculiar murmur at the apex in aortic regurgitation.
friction m.-one due to rubbing together of two serous surfaces.
functional m.-cardiac murmur from excited action of the heart or from anemia.
Gibson m.-a long rumbling sound occupying most of systole and diastole,usually localized in the second left interspace near the sternum, and pathognomonic of patent ductus arteriosus.
Graham Steell m.-one due to relative pulmonary insufficiency.
heart m.-cardiac murmur.
hemic m.-blood murmur.
indirect m.-one caused by reversal of the direction of blood current.
innocent m.-functional murmur.
inorganic m.-one not due to valvular lesions.
machinery m.-a continuous, loud, rough murmur heard in the second left space in patent ductus arteriosus.
mitral m.-one due to diseased mitral valve.
musical m.-one with a musical quality.
organic m.-one due to structural change in the heart.
pericardial m.-one produced in the pericardium.
prediastolic m.-one occurring just before diastole.
presystolic m.-charateristic of mitral stenosis (narrowing of mitral / bicuspid valve) or tricuspid valve obstruction in regular rhythm.
pulmonic m.-one due to disease of the valves of the pulmonary artery.
regurgitant m.-one due to a dilated valvular orifice.
seagull m.-a musical murmur resembling the call of a seagull frequently heard in aortic insufficiency.
systolic m.-one at systole, from mitral, aortic, tricuspid or pulmonary obstruction.
tricuspid m.-one caused by disease of the tricusid valve.
vesicular m.-the murmur of normal breathing.
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