What is a heart murmur?
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.
What symptoms does a heart murmur cause?
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:
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Syncope (fainting)
- Bluish fingertips and lips
- Sudden weight gain
- Leg swelling
- Shortness of breath
- Chronic cough
- Enlarged neck veins
- Sweating heavily even when inactive
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.
What causes a heart murmur?
Possible causes of an abnormal heart murmur include:
- Septal defects (holes in the heart)
- Cardiac shunts
- Aortic valve stenosis
- Mitral valve regurgitation
- Aortic valve regurgitation
- Mitral stenosis
- Endocarditis
- Rheumatic fever
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.
What treatment would I need for my heart murmur?
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:
- Anticoagulants (blood thinners)
- Diuretics (water pills)
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (blood pressure pills)
- Statins (cholesterol-lowering medications)
- Beta-blockers (to slow your heart down)
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.
