question about heart health?

Question

I am 25, and was diagnosed with a heart murmur about a year ago. When I get stressed or drink too much caffeine, it hurts when it skips a beat (I have been trying to cut back on both). My family has a history of high blood pressure and heart disease.
My question is, will a heart murmur develop into a worse condition later in life? Will I be more prone to any heart disease or heart attacks when I am older?

Also is there anything I can do now to prevent bad things from happening?

Answer 1

Heart murmurs, are caused by structural abnormalities of the heart, defective heart valves or holes in the walls of the heart...innocent heart murmurs, usually found in children, do not affect the patient's health and require no treatment. Heart murmurs due to septal defects may require surgery. Those due to valvular defects may require antibiotics to prevent infection during certain surgical or dental procedures, severely damaged valves can be repaired or replaced through surgery, two types for adults are diastolic (while relaxing) and systolic (during contraction of the heart muscle) some defects close on their own, others require surgery to prevent progressive damage to the heart, severe murmurs cause shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pains, palpitations, and lung congestion and if not treated can cause death...your heart does not skip a beat, you hear the vibrating and sloshing sounds made by turbulent blood flow in between the normal beats of your heart.
You didn't say which kind of heart murmur you have or which tests your doctor has performed such as chest x-rays, an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram to determine treatment.
I suggest you ask your doctor about your concerns and questions you have.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Depends on what the cause of the murmur is. Many murmurs are quite benign and don't have any implications for health at all - they're just curiosities. Other murmurs represent troubles with the valves of the heart or a hole in the heart; these, as you might imagine, could cause troubles later.

An experienced internist (internal medicine doctor) can often decide what kind of murmur it is simply by listening. For cases where the internist has a question, an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) can be helpful.

Tendencies toward some types of heart disease can be inherited - the question is what kind of heart disease did your family have? Generally, coronary artery disease (blockages in the arteries of the heart) that occurs in closely related males before they're 55 or closely related females before they're 65 can increase your risk of developing the same thing. Nothing you can do about it except to avoid the other major risk factors for coronary artery disease - i.e. remain physically active, refrain from smoking, and be periodically screened for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Answer 4

Most murmurs are benign ( not serious). But, based on your family history, you may have some problems later on in life. You should avoid caffeine ( which you already know), chocolate ( contains caffeine), and stimulants that are in cold medicines as they can increase your heart rate ( these cold medicines are now kept behind the pharmacy station). You mentioned that you have " skipped beat" when you are stressed. Unfortunately, today, most of us are overstressed with even our daily life/routine. Try to avoid situations that will cause you to feel stressed out. Yeah, easier said than done. Maybe you should tell your Doc that you are experiencing heart palpitations ( skipped beats) during stressful times. He/she may prescribe a medication that will reduce your heart palpitations. Sometimes, a medication, known as a beta-blocker will be prescribed and/or a mild tranquilizer. When was your last EKG ( Electrocardiogram) ??? Have you had one at all ?? You should also reduce your salt intake as this can increase a person's blood pressure. The best advice, contact your Doc. I hope that this helps.

Answer 5

You are at higher risk for your condition worsening b/c of the heart murmur & family history. There are some things you can do to lessen your risks. You can eat a heart healthy diet. You can google for the diet or go to the American Heart Association's web site. You need to keep your weight within normal limits for your height. You need regular cardiovascular exercise. Limit salt. Drink plenty of pure water. Limit caffeine & sugar. Also, learning stress reduction techniques would be helpful. Worrying about this isn't going to help. Live a full, active, happy life & be an optimistic person. That's the best medicine.

Answer 6

heart murmur and your family hx predisposes you to a worst condition later in life. you have to undergo frequent check ups like every 6 mos to prevent possible complications. also avoid too much stress, caffeinated drinks because they increase your heart rate,rest in between activities so that you wouldnt stress your heart so much.

Answer 7

hahah wow that can't be accurate. There are so many variables we are missing here. It might be that the group that looked at boobs coincidentally ate healthier than the group that did not look at boobs. There are just too many variables haha.