A heart murmur is not a disease, just a descriptive term used for the sound your doctor hears with a stethoscope. Could be an extra or unusual sound, very faint to very loud and/or a whooshing or swishing sound.
It may be harmless or abnormal sign that something is wrong. Most heart murmurs are harmless and usually have no other signs or symptoms of heart problems.
Abnormal murmurs in children may be due heart defects present at birth. Abnormal murmurs in adults are often due to:
- aging
- disease
- septal defects
- heart valve problems caused by infective endocarditis
Especially if other signs or symptoms of a heart problem are present.
Treatment for heart problems that cause abnormal murmurs will vary depending on the specific heart problem. The signs and symptoms may include:
- fainting
- dizziness
- chest pain
- fast breathing
- excessive sweating
- shortness of breath
- fatigue ~ feeling very tired
- poor eating and failure to grow normally ~ in infants
- blue coloring of the skin, especially on the fingertips & inside the mouth
So if your doctor indicates a heart murmur, the next step is to determine if the sound in the stethoscope has a cause. Your described symptoms that may indicate a heart issue helps them determine if the couple of beats they hear out of your 100,000 times your heart beats per day is harmless or abnormal.
If your doctor feels your murmur is abnormal they will usually refer your to a heart specialist for further evaluation and testing.
