Your Trusted Cardiologist In NYC

Current Articles | RSS Feed   RSS Feed

Does Anything Need To Be Done About a Heart Murmur

Heart Murmur – Never Neglect it

Of the many heart related problems that can occur in few children and adults, one is the abnormal flow of blood through the heart. This disorder causes certain sounds termed as heart murmur. A doctor can easily detect the sound or murmur during a routine examination with his stethoscope.

Does Anything Need To Be Done About a Heart MurmurThe abnormal sound or heart murmur can result due to:

·         Leakage or narrowing of valves

·         Certain structural defects of the heart

·         Occurrence of abnormal passages that make blood flow near or within the heart.

Depending upon their timing, the murmurs can be systolic or diastolic murmurs. Doctors place these sounds in various grades according to their intensities like:

·         Faint – Grade 1

·         Soft – Grade 2

·         Sound heard all over the pericardium – Grade 3

·         Loud murmur with palpable thrill – Grade 4

·         Extra loud with thrill – Grade 5

·         Extra loud with thrill that can be heard even when the stethoscope is off the chest – Grade 6

Presence of heart murmur in a person does not mean that the person is really sick. Many healthy people especially children have the innocent type of murmur and can get on with their normal life. The murmur will go with passage of time. Sometimes a heart disease condition can result in abnormal murmur. This condition is sometimes present in children since birth. A good cardiologist will be able to distinguish between the two kinds of murmurs.

Reasons for having abnormal murmur:

·         Presence of heart valve disease

·         Congenital heart disease since birth

·         Age related

·         Any disease

·         An infection.

Cases of abnormal murmur should not be ignored. They need a cardiologist’s attention and treatment. If you or your child has symptoms like:

·         Chest pain

·         Breathlessness

·         Poor growth in children

·         Inability to eat

·         Bluish tinge on the skin.

Presence of these symptoms indicates a problematic heart accompanied with heart murmur. This condition needs immediate medical attention and treatment.  Check with your cardiologist and seek relevant treatment through medication or surgery.

file-377486013

What is Atrial Fibrillation

What is Atrial Fibrillation 

Atrial fibrillation is a common form of irregular heartbeat that is occasionally an indicator of other serious health issues. While it is not normally a serious condition, there are instances in which it can require emergency medical care.

Causes
The condition is caused by the upper chambers of the heart beating out of rhythm with the lower two chambers. In a normally functioning heart the rhythm of the heartbeat is coordinated by electrical impulses with the upper two (the atria) being keeping in rhythm with the bottom two (the ventricles). Atrial fibrillation is the condition wherein the two sets of chambers are out of sync with each other. The upper chambers beat rapidly and spasmodically, with the bottom two doing the same but to a lesser extent. In a normal heart, the rate of beats per minute ranges between 60 and 100, in a person who this type of irregular heartbeat, the rate may be as high as 175 beats per minute.

What is Atrial FibrillationSymptoms
Atrial fibrillation usually presents with a rapid heartbeat, but there are other symptoms including swelling in various parts of the body (similar to the swelling from water retention), and angina. The symptoms may arise as a result of physical exertion or they may occur on their own. The episodes of this condition may also be occasional or chronic and can occur in different age groups regardless of an individual’s risk of heart disease.

Associated Conditions

  • High blood pressure is a condition often linked with atrial fibrillation and therefore it may be a sign of an increased risk of stroke.

  • One study has found that the condition is also often found in patients with sleep apnea.

  • Patients who have diabetes also disproportionately suffer from this type of arrhythmia. The connection between the two conditions is not completely understood.

file-377486013
All Posts