Table of Contents
What is a heart murmur caused by?
A heart murmur is an extra noise heard during a heartbeat. The noise is caused when blood does not flow smoothly through the heart. Heart murmurs can be innocent (harmless) or abnormal (caused by a heart problem). Some causes are fever, anemia, or heart valve disease.
What are two possible causes for heart murmurs?
Causes
- Flow murmurs: Exercise, pregnancy, and anemia can all cause a high blood flow, as can hyperthyroidism, fever, and rapid growth spurts.
- Valve disease-related murmurs: Problems with a valve in the heart, such as aortic stenosis or a bicuspid aortic valve, can lead to a heart murmur.
Is heart murmur life threatening?
Many heart murmurs aren’t life-threatening and don’t need treatment. But other heart murmurs do need treatment because they’re a sign of an underlying problem with your heart.
Are heart murmurs caused by stress?
Stress and anxiety can cause a heart murmur that’s considered a physiologic heart murmur. However, it’s more likely that a heart murmur would be caused by an underlying heart condition, anemia, or hyperthyroidism.
Do heart murmurs make you tired?
People with an abnormal heart murmur may have symptoms of the problem causing the murmur. Symptoms can include: Feeling weak or tired. Shortness of breath, especially with exercise.
Do heart murmurs get worse with age?
If you have gone through treatment to replace or repair a heart valve, your murmur may change sound or go away completely. Likewise, murmurs can get worse if a condition goes untreated or becomes more serious. Your heart is unique, and some heart murmurs can change over time.
Can you live a long life with a heart murmur?
If you or your child has an innocent heart murmur, you can live a completely normal life. It will not cause you any problems and is not a sign of an issue with your heart. If you have a murmur along with any of the following symptoms, see your doctor: You are very tired.
What do heart murmurs feel like?
A typical heart murmur sounds like a whooshing noise. According to the American Heart Association, it usually feels like a very subtle extra pulse. Heart murmurs are common, especially among young children.
Should I worry about a heart murmur?
Most heart murmurs aren’t serious, but if you think you or your child has a heart murmur, make an appointment to see your family doctor. Your doctor can tell you if the heart murmur is innocent and doesn’t require any further treatment or if an underlying heart problem needs to be further examined.
What can make a heart murmur worse?
When should I be concerned about a heart murmur?
Loud heart murmurs (Grade 3-4/6 to 6/6) in a new puppy or kitty and soft heart murmurs that persist beyond 14-16 weeks of age should be evaluated by a cardiologist. This may indicate that congenital (present at birth) heart disease is present.
How is a heart murmur treated?
Treatment depends on the heart condition causing the murmur and may include medications or surgery….Valve replacement
- Open-heart surgery. This is the main treatment for severe valve stenosis.
- Ross procedure.
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).