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Heart murmurs are auditory phenomena that can be heard when the heart is auscultated with a stethoscope. They do not necessarily mean illness, especially when they are present in children. Nevertheless, they should be diagnosed as they may be a symptom of the disease. Most often they are a sign of uneven blood flow through the valves in the heart. During the stethoscope examination, the doctor checks the regularity of the heart and auscultates it. If you hear pathological tones (especially in an adult who may have heart problems), more detailed diagnosis is needed.
Which heart murmurs are the cause of anxiety?
It is worth remembering that our heart makes sounds, not all of which should worry us. A properly functioning heart makes two tones due to the flow of blood – when the atrioventricular valves close and then when the aortic and pulmonary valves close. The second is louder than the first and appears at the beginning of the ventricular diastole. In addition to them, in children, especially after exercise, there are two other tones, one of which is purely physiological, and the other is practically inaudible to the ear. Such murmursespecially in children, they are not a cause for concern, but if we prefer to be sure, we can go to the doctor.
Heart murmurs in children they occur, according to statistics, even in 30% of cases in various situations. They can also be a sign of congenital defects, such as:
- Patent ductus arteriosus, also known as Botalla duct, which is most common in premature babies. It is caused by a non-unionized arterial duct. It manifests itself in a mechanical murmur in the area of the left clavicle.
- Defect in the atrial septum, when, apart from the murmurs, there is also a doubling of the second heart tone. This is due to incorrect mixing of blood between the atria.
- The ventricular septal defect, which is the most common congenital defect in children. Treatment is based on the surgical correction of the interventricular septum and takes place until the child is 6 months old.
- Narrowing of the aorta or pulmonary artery, which causes a narrowing of the outflow of blood from the left or right ventricle, resulting in a murmur.
Cause heart murmurs your baby may have other birth defects too. If heart defects are suspected, your doctor may order echocardiography to assess how your heart is working and to treat any birth defects surgically if necessary.
In an adult heart murmurs they should absolutely undergo medical diagnosis, because, unlike children in whom heart murmurs can occur, an adult should not have them.
Heart murmurs in an adult it is distinguished between murmurs systolic, diastolic and murmurs all the time. One of the most important considerations when diagnosing heart murmurs is to judge their loudness. For this purpose, a six-stage was developed Levine rock. Grades 1 to 3 apply murmurs very quiet, quiet and medium volume, while grades 4 to 6 mean respectively murmurs loud (and clearly audible) murmurs audible immediately after applying the stethoscope (loud) and the loudest murmursthat can be heard even after the stethoscope has moved away from the patient’s chest. Moreover heart murmurs they can be divided due to their voicing (i.e. increasing or fading away in time, increasing-fading in time or continuously).
What causes a heart murmur?
If heart murmurs they are systolic, their volume depends on the patient’s position and body temperature. If they do not exceed 3 in skali Levine and they are non-radiation, we can consider them harmless (but you should see a doctor anyway). Other murmurs require urgent medical consultation. They can mean disturbing pathologies in the cardiovascular system.
Besides, the cause heart murmurs they may be: anemia, thyroid disease, atherosclerosis, or a heart defect, including mitral valve insufficiency.
In case of heart murmurs combined with such revelations as:
- cyanosis, i.e. blue fingers or toes after climbing stairs or a longer walk,
- swelling veins in the neck after slight physical exertion,
- breathing problems with even slight physical exertion,
- chest pains after exercise
- permanent swelling of the body (especially the entire body),
… In this case, you should immediately see a doctor for initial and then in-depth diagnostics.
Heart murmurs should not be taken lightly in both children and adults. Relatively simple diagnostics allows you to quickly detect disturbing heart murmurs and promptly treat their causes.
After the initial auscultation, a cardiologist (especially a pediatric cardiologist) will probably order a heart echo and on its basis he will confirm or dispel our fears, and, if necessary, order further diagnostics or treatment.