A heart murmur is an abnormal sound made by turbulent blood flow in the heart. Some adults and many children have incidental heart murmurs that are harmless (benign). At least 30% of children may have an innocent heart murmur at some point during childhood. However, some heart murmurs can signal an underlying heart problem.
Benign heart murmurs are caused by:
Abnormal heart murmurs can be due to:
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.
Risk factors for normal heart murmurs include:
Risk factors for abnormal heart murmurs include:
Benign heart murmurs usually cause no symptoms. Patients with mitral valve prolapse sometimes complain of vague chest discomfort and other symptoms. It remains unclear whether or not the valvular abnormality is causing the symptoms.
Symptoms of abnormal heart murmurs include:
Most benign heart murmurs are diagnosed during the course of a routine physical exam with a stethoscope. Some abnormal heart murmurs are also discovered this way. Other abnormal heart murmurs are discovered initially by their symptoms.
Tests may include:
Benign heart murmurs require no treatment. Treatment of other heart murmurs depends on the underlying cause and extent of the problem.
Treatments include:
Medications can either treat the cause of the heart abnormality associated with the murmur or help compensate for its dysfunction:
Surgery is often necessary to treat severe heart abnormalities:
Preventing benign heart murmurs are unnecessary. To help reduce your risk of developing an abnormal heart murmur:
If you have valvular heart disease, even if you have no symptoms, you may be at risk for endocarditis. It may be necessary to take antibiotics before and after any medical or dental procedure that could allow bacteria to enter your blood stream. Also, never use intravenous drugs.
RESOURCES:
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/
Heart Information Network
http://www.heartinfo.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Cardiovascular Society
http://www.ccs.ca/home/index_e.aspx/
Canadian Family Physician
http://www.cfpc.ca/cfp/
References:
Berkow R. The Merck Manual of Medical Information . New York, NY: Pocket; 2000.
Heart murmurs. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4571 . Accessed July 6, 2009.
Medical dictionary: heart disease and stroke. Harvard Medical School Consumer Health Information website. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/dictionary/heart-disease-stroke.htm . Accessed July 6, 2009.
Last reviewed September 2009 by David N. Smith, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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