What are Heart Murmurs?

Doctors use a stethoscope to listen to your heartbeats. Heartbeats typically have the “thub” sound, but it could sometimes be different like a whoosh, swash, or other noises. These are referred to as heart murmurs, they could seem abnormal and harmless or dangerous depending on the timing, pitch, and location.

Types of Heart Murmurs:

• Innocent Murmurs: Harmless, common sounds (commonly found in children or mothers during pregnancy), and do not prompt any heart diseases

• Abnormal Murmurs: Sounds that suggest underlying issues like valve problems, congenital heart defects, and heart muscle issues

• Types based on timing:

• Systolic Murmurs: Heard during heart contraction

• Diastolic Murmurs: Heard when the heart relaxes and blood flows into the chambers

• Continuous Murmurs: Heard through both the contraction and relaxation phases

Causes & Risks:

• Valve problems: Valves are too narrow or leaky

• Congenital heart defects: Structural heart issues from birth

• Increased blood flow: Situations like pregnancy, anemia, and hyperthyroidism (thyroid glands produce too much thyroid hormones) cause murmurs

• CVDs or heart conditions: cardiomyopathy, coronary heart disease, or high blood pressure

Symptoms (Only abnormal murmurs):

• Shortness of breath

• Weakness or fatigue

• Heart palpitations or high heart rate

• Swelling of legs or feet

• Nausea or dizziness

Even though some heart murmurs are just signals and could be harmless, they could show structural heart diseases. It is important to go seek a medical professional because you might have an underlying heart condition, which can cause further damage to the heart. It is important to understand what murmurs mean to help you stay informed and calm.