What Is A Heart Murmur?

After seeing your doctor for a routine physical, or maybe because you've been experiencing some discomfort associated with your chest or heart, he or she tells you they think you have a heart murmur and together you should investigate this information a bit more. You've heard the term thrown around a little, but what exactly is a heart murmur? What does it mean? What are the symptoms? Does it need to be treated and is it dangerous?
A heart murmur is often noticed by your doctor when listening to your heart beat using a stethoscope. A murmur is typically classified as an extra, or abnormal sound in your heartbeat. It can sound like a whooshing, or swishing noise. It can be a very distinct sound that is easy to pick out, or sometimes, it is very faint, and tough to diagnose unless specifically looking for a problem within the heart. A heart murmur is very common, and can be completely harmless, while some murmurs indicate an underlying heart condition. Many pregnant women develop heart murmurs due to the extra blood their body is producing during their pregnancy - it's completely normal for this to happen. Other factors in people sometimes include anemia, or too much thyroid hormone being produced by the body. Factors for abnormal murmurs usually include a defect within the heart that is affecting how blood is being pumped.
While some people are completely unaware of the fact that they have anything odd going on with their heart, others will notice a variety of symptoms such as fast breathing, shortness of breath, dizziness, excessive sweating, chest pain, fainting and fatigue. Palpitations may also occur sporadically, or continuously. The symptoms all depend on the severity of the murmur, and can easily be ignored or blamed on some other factor. Sometimes a murmur can go on for many years before being detected.
Once a murmur has been detected, your doctor may send you for further tests to confirm his findings and to find out the severity of the murmur. Typically, an EKG (Electrocardiogram) is done to measure the rate of your heartbeat. EKG's can normally be done right in your doctor's office, however sometimes an EKG won't pick up a low murmur, so further tests need to be run. An echocardiogram is a 2D picture of your heart conducted just like an ultrasound of a baby is done. This test provides the doctor with information on the size of the heart, the size of the chambers, and how well both are functioning, including the functionality of your heart valves. An echocardiogram is highly useful is viewing how well the heart is working, and will also show any portion of the heart that may not be getting sufficient blood flow. A resting echocardiogram is one that is done with a resting heart rate, while a stress echocardiogram is often done both before and after physical activity. The stress echocardiogram often includes dye being injected into a vein to show the blood flow once the heart is pumping faster and harder. These tests will indicate to your doctor the cause of your heart murmur. Sometimes they are offered in your doctor's office, while at times you may be referred to another office, or a local hospital to have the test done.
Many people who suffer from heart murmurs do not need treatment, but it is important to see your doctor on a periodic basis to make sure everything is still going alright. If the murmur is because of a condition such as anemia or hyperthyroidism, the murmur should disappear once the condition is treated. If only occasional episodes occur due to the murmur, medication can be prescribed for those episodes. Treatment for an abnormal murmur could include a number of things such as medication, or possibly surgery if your doctor deems it necessary. Depending on what type of murmur you have, your doctor may refer you to a cardiologist to help handle the situation properly. A heart murmur can be very manageable if treated properly by a trusted physician, and diagnosed properly.