Last week, we learned about heart murmurs – What are they? Who gets them? Are they serious? How are they treated? In Part 1-Innocent Heart Murmurs, you learned that there are two types of heart murmurs: innocent heart murmurs.
(innocent heat murmurs are generally not serious and do not require treatment); and abnormal or pathologic heart murmurs (which can be a signal of a serious underlying heart problem). In Part 1, we took a look at Innocent Heart Murmurs. In this Part 2, you’ll focus on learning more about abnormal heart murmurs.
Is an abnormal heart murmur serious?
I know that you’d like to hear a different answer but the only way to respond is simply – it depends. Do you remember from Part 1 that a heart murmur is not heart disease? Since it’s not heart disease, an abnormal heart murmur may be a signal that you have an underlying heart problem or condition which might be quite serious. It’s important that you seek medical attention immediately if you have, or think you may have, an abnormal heart murmur.
What are the symptoms of an abnormal heart murmur?
An abnormal heart murmur may be difficult to diagnose initially because you may or may not experience symptoms. On the one hand, as with the innocent heart murmur, you may have absolutely no symptoms whatsoever and be totally unaware of any problems until your doctor hears the murmur on an exam. However, on the other hand, you may experience numerous symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, these symptoms may include: shortness of breath, swelling, blue skin (especially fingertips and lips), chest pain, weight gain (yes ladies, it always comes back to weight doesn’t it?), enlarged liver or neck veins, dizziness, fainting or heavy sweating (with no minimal or no exertion). (Infants may also experience poor appetite or failure to thrive or grow.) If you experience any of these symptoms, then it may be a sign of a serious underlying heart problem.
If I don’t have any symptoms, how does my doctor know if it is an innocent or abnormal heart murmur?
For many of you, the first time that you’ll know that you have a heart murmur is in the doctor’s office when he first hears it with his stethoscope. If you haven’t had any symptoms, he’ll investigate further to determine if he thinks it’s an innocent or abnormal heart murmur. Your doctor may ask such questions as:
How loud is it?
Where in your heart is it?
What pitch is it?
What affects the sound?
When does it occur, and for how long?
Depending on the results of his assessment, your doctor may order additional tests such as a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG) Transthoracic echocardiogram , a cardiac catheterization, a cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan, or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
What causes an abnormal heart murmur?
The cause of an abnormal heart murmur depends primarily on your age. In children, it’s generally the result of a congenital heart disease. However, in adults (and we’re focusing on adults) the underlying cause may be the result of heart valve problems. These may be caused by a number of factors including: infection, disease or normal aging. Some of the diseases and infections associated with abnormal heart murmurs include: Rheumatic fever, Endocarditis, Valve calcification (mitral or aortic valve stenosis), or Mitral valve prolapse.
How do you treat an abnormal heart murmur?
The answer to this question depends on the underlying cause of your heart murmur. The treatment could be something quite simple such as medication (statins, beta blockers, diuretics, digoxin, anticoagulants, or ACE inhibitors). Depending on your condition, a more invasive treatment, such as a heart catheterization or surgery to patch, repair or replace a valve or rebuild or widen a blood vessel may be required.
If your doctor diagnoses you with a heart murmur, it’s important to determine what type of heart murmur you have as soon as possible. As you can see, some can be quite serious while you might live with others for years without consequence.
As with any health condition, it’s important that you see a health professional, preferably a cardiologist, to evaluate your heart murmur and ensure that you are receiving the right treatment for you as soon as possible.
Until next time, here’s wishing you a healthy heart.
(Disclaimer: I am not a physician and nothing in this article should be construed as giving medical advice. As with any medical decision, please consult your physician.)
Note: For more information on heart health related issues, please visit other “A Woman’s Heart” articles by this author.
Reference
A Woman's Heart: Heart Murmurs, Part 1-Innocent Heart Murmurs https://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2009/11/05/woman%E2%80%99s-heart-heart-murmurs-part-1-innocent-murmurs
Sources:
Heart Murmurs, The Mayo Clinic, 12 Apr 2008, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-murmurs/DS00727/DSECTION=causes
Heart Murmurs: What is a Heart Murmur?, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, June 2008, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/heartmurmur/hmurmur_what.html .