What is a heart murmur? And is it dangerous?

Answer 1

A heart murmur is when your blood goes from one chamber of the heart, into another and the flap (valve) that normally closes off the first chamber...doesn't close off completely between beats. They can range from pretty minor, to dangerous. It can be something that has been there since birth, OR it can be temporary as in...if you're pregnant and are carrying extra weight that you're not used to, or it can be caused by just being over weight and putting undue strain on your heart.

Answer 2

Learning that you have or your child has a heart murmur can be scary. However, heart murmurs are quite common and often are harmless.

Though many murmurs are innocent, some may indicate serious heart problems. For instance, heart murmurs may be caused by blood flowing through a heart valve made leaky or narrow by disease. Murmurs can also be caused by increased blood flow across a valve as a result of medical conditions such as anemia or hypothyroidism. Congenital cardiac defects (heart problems present at birth) can also cause heart murmurs. These often can be repaired with surgery.

Within the heart there are four chambers separated from each other by valves, or flaps, that regulate how much blood enters each chamber at any time. Healthy valves also help prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction in your heart.

A healthy heart makes a "lub-dub" sound as it beats. The "lub" (systolic sound) happens when part of the heart contracts and the mitral and tricuspid valves close, and the "dub" (diastolic sound) occurs when part of the heart relaxes and the aortic and pulmonic valves close. A heart murmur is an extra sound, such as a whooshing, in the heartbeat caused by irregular blood flow through the heart valves.

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 cardiologist (heart specialist). Medication or surgery may be recommended to treat the underlying problem. He or she may also suggest that you take extra precautions against getting a heart infection, such as by taking antibiotics when you have dental work or some surgeries. With thorough examination and proper tests, your doctor should be able to tell what causes your heart murmur.

Symptoms
Many people with heart murmurs experience no symptoms. However, some murmurs can occur in conjunction with these other symptoms:

Answer 3

well you have four valves in your heart that pump the blood throughout the body and etc. when one of them doesn't close all the way or something similar to that, i believe it is "leaking" a little, then it is a heart murmur. It can turn very serious so you should get it checked out by a cardiologist and see what they suggest you should do.

Answer 4

From Wikipedia:
"Heart murmurs are abnormal heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow, which is sufficient to produce audible noise. This most commonly results from narrowing or leaking of valves or the presence of abnormal passages through which blood flows in or near the heart. Murmurs are not usually part of the normal cardiac physiology and thus warrant further investigations. However, they sometimes result from HARMLESS flow characteristics of no clinical significance."
so, no, i dont think their harmful. hope this helps
:D

Answer 5

They come in many forms. Sometimes the muscles in the heart aren't aligned properly and the heart has to do an extra beat every now and then to compensate for the difference. I have one that was only recently diagnosed after a panic attack but the specialist said it could have been there since I was born. I think you are more likely to have a heart attack but it is not a significant risk. The best thing to do is take care of your health.

Answer 6

A heart murmur is an abnormal heart sound that can be insignificant or a major problem.

Answer 7

Complete information is at the source below. Whether it's dangerous or not depends upon the condition.

Answer 8

WebMD is great for info about medical issues:

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-murmur-introductions-symptoms

Answer 9

a hole in the heart. Usually not serious, often grows shut, often temporary, occasionally needs surgery

Answer 10

its when you r born its a hole in your heart that somtimes goes away and grow out of it and it keeps you from running around a hole lot u give out of breath easy and dogs can even get them too!