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What are Heart Murmur Symptoms

Sometimes Children Outgrow Their Heart Murmur

Heart murmurs can occur in healthy children.  Some of these children will outgrow their heart murmur as they age. A heart murmur will also occur during pregnancy on occasion, these murmurs are referred to as ‘innocent’ heart murmurs. They do not require any kind of treatment or change in your lifestyle because they are not linked to any medical or heart condition. That said, seeking a medical opinion is essential to ensure there is not an underlying condition causing the murmur.

A Murmur Could Indicate a Serious Condition

What are Heart Murmur SymptomsAs previously mentioned, many murmurs are ‘innocent’; however, some murmurs can indicate a serious heart problem.  For example, a heart murmur could be caused by a narrow or leaky heart valve as the blood flows through it. A murmur can also occur because of an increase in blood flow across a valve because of the medical conditions hypothyroidism or anemia.  Heart problems that are present at birth, called congenital heart defects, can also create a heart murmur.  Many times, surgery can repair the congenital heart defects.

Many individuals do not have any heart murmur symptoms whatsoever; however, some heart murmurs are accompanied by symptoms.

Heart Murmur Symptoms

  • Palpitations (rapid heartbeat)
  • Chest Pain
  • Fatigue
  • Breathlessness
  • Bluish colored fingertips or skin (the bluish fingertips are sometimes seen in newborns that have congenital heart defects)

How a Heart Murmur is Detected

If your heart is healthy, it creates a ‘lub-dub’ sound while it is beating. The ‘lub’ is the systolic sound. The ‘dub’ is the diastolic sound.  A heart murmur creates a ‘whooshing’ sound that is added to the ‘lub-dub’ sound.

A heart murmur can be detected with the use of a stethoscope and is often found during a routine physical exam.  If a murmur is found, your doctor may find that it is an ‘innocent’ murmur. If the heart murmur is caused by a more serious heart problem, your doctor could decide to refer you to a cardiologist.  The cardiologist may prescribe medication or recommend surgery to treat your underlying heart problem.

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