Some heart murmurs are unlikely to cause you any problems, but certain heart murmurs may be a sign of underlying cardiac conditions. The team at Arizona Heart Arrhythmia Associates can quickly diagnose the cause of your heart murmur and provide any treatment you need. Call one of their seven convenient locations in Phoenix, Avondale, Tempe, Chandler, Sun City, Dewey, or Prescott Valley, Arizona, to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online today.
Heart murmurs are abnormal sounds that your heart might make as it beats. A healthy heart usually makes a "lub-DUP" sound as the valves in the heart close, but when you have a heart murmur, it’s more like a whooshing or swishing sound.
Heart murmurs are often nothing to worry about — many people have heart murmurs when they're born or develop one in later life that never causes any issues. However, in some cases, a heart murmur may indicate you have a more serious condition that does require treatment.
An innocent heart murmur doesn’t result from an underlying health problem, so you won't experience additional symptoms. If you’ve got an abnormal heart murmur, you could have symptoms such as:
Sometimes abnormal heart murmurs don't cause any other symptoms, so you shouldn't assume you're OK without a diagnosis from Arizona Heart Arrhythmia Associates.
Possible causes of an abnormal heart murmur include:
An innocent heart murmur occurs when blood flows through your heart more quickly than normal. This could be due to vigorous physical activity, rapid growth during adolescence, hyperthyroidism, anemia, fevers, or pregnancy.
You won't need any treatment for an innocent heart murmur. However, if you have an abnormal heart murmur, you might need to take medications to address the cause, such as:
If medication isn't sufficient on its own, you may need to undergo further procedures, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), balloon valvuloplasty, annuloplasty, or valve leaflet repair.
The first step is to find out what's causing your heart murmur by undergoing a diagnostic consultation at Arizona Heart Arrhythmia Associates. To make an appointment, call the office nearest you or fill in the online booking form today.