What is a heart Murmur and how do you know you have one?

Answer 1

A heart murmur is a sound that the heart makes as blood is being pumped. It is caused by heart valves that are too loose and let some blood flow backward through them. Many murmurs are what are called "innocent" meaning they aren't harmful.

Often, heart murmurs go unnoticed until the person is examined with a stethoscope. However, more severe murmurs or valve problems may be sensed as unusual shortness of breath on exertion and sometimes heart palpitations. In any case, if you have any of these symptoms it is best to visit your Doctor for advice.

Answer 2

I have a murmur myself and until about 8 yrs ago, needed to do nothing about it. My murmur is in the form of mitral valve prolapse ( mvp ). My mitral valve does not close properly. I can feel when this happens since my heart does a bit of a skippy and extra thump rhythm. Mine finally advanced until I needed medication to help with shortness of breath and actual chest pain. I took atenolol which is a beta blocker and causes my heart to not beat as forcefully. It took care of all my symptoms.

However, my best remedy was when I lost about 150lbs. The strain on my heart decreased to the point where I no longer need the medication. I still have the murmur and always will, but it no longer needs meds to control the discomfort.

Most murmurs are harmless or an annoyance at best, however some do end up requiring surgery to replace the defective valve. This is major surgery, obviously, but one that has become fairly routine and has wonderful results. My own Mom had the surgery and did well.

Do get it checked by a doctor, preferably a cardiologist that can do ecg's and an ultrasound that will show him the real time condition of the valve itself. Doppler would also help him see the exact flow of the blood through the valve. All of these tests are non-invasive and don't hurt at all. Oh, the other thing they may do if the murmur is a bit more significant is a stress test to be sure the rest of your heart is handling things well.

Take good care
Heather

Answer 3

There are serious and 'innocent' heart murmurs...Valve leakage from Mitral, Aorta, etc.. Some people actually have only 2 valves in their Aorta instead of 3. This is usually since birth..They must be watched, as calcification can lead to less and less blood being pumped, making a heart valve replacement necessary when symptoms appear. If you have only 2 valves, it is called Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis. Usually, replacement with a pig or cow valve will make you like new for 10 to 15 years or more, and not require blood thinners. People who get a 'mechanical' heart valve must take blood thinners and frequent testing, and are more prone to other problems down the line like anurisms, strokes, etc.
Have a stress test, echo-cardiogram, and see how you are doing, and what type of murmur you may have.

Answer 4

A heart murmus is a 'whooshing' sound one can hear when listening to the heart with a stethoscope.

You can't know if you have one unless someone who knows what a murmur sounds like listens to your heart with a stethoscope.

A heart murmur can be normal ['innocent' murmur], or it can represent an abnormality of flow in one or more of the heart chambers.

If you have a murmur, a painless ultrasound of the heart [an 'echocardiogram'] can determine whether the murmur is innocent or represents a problem.

Answer 5

A heart murmer is usually caused by leakage of one of the valves in the heart.
As the blood passes through the almost but not quite closed valve, it makes a noise that Doctors call a murmur.
Most are not serious, a few are.
Talk to your Doctor.

Answer 6

It is caused by a valve that does not close properly or a hole small hole (my new born son has).

It is detected by listening the sound of heart beating by a stethoscope.

My wife & I has sleepless nights until we were told by doctor that it usually heal by itself. Praise God, last appointment (baby already 1 month) with pediatrician say does not have heart murmur.

I hope yours will be able to heal itself....also try praying to God....

Answer 7

its an irregular heartbeat kind of,
your heart keeps a constant rhythm of shrink and expand(or if anyone can put it better) at regular intervals, a heart murmer is when your heart naturally disrupts the rhythm, it puts a scratch in the disk sort to speak. but as far as i know of its totally harmless