1. What is heart murmur?
A murmur is a sound produced by blood
flowing through the heart or blood vessels.
2. Does the presence of a heart murmur indicate
a heart problem?
Usually not. There are two groups of
murmurs: organic murmurs and innocent murmurs.
Organic murmurs are produced by heart problems - some minor and
some major.
Innocent murmurs are normal murmurs, normal sounds produced by
the blood flowing through the heart and vessels of the body.
Innocent murmurs also are called functional murmurs or flow
murmurs.
3. How common are heart murmurs?
Murmurs are often present, especially in
children. Heart disease accounts for less than 1% of heart
murmurs. Most murmurs are innocent. Innocent murmurs may be
present in up to 95% of normal persons at one time or another.
4. How does the physician tell the difference
between an innocent and organic murmur?
The physical examination is the first
step in telling the difference.
The evaluation also may include one or more of the following:
A) electrocardiogram and/or vectocardiogram- a study of the electrical activity of the
heart.
B) Chest roentgenogram - an image of
the heart produced by high frequency sounds, similar to a
sonogram.
C) Echocardiogram - an image of the
heart produced by high frequency sounds, similar to a sonogram.
D) Stress test - a measurement of the
action of the heart under controlled exercise.
E) Holter monitoring - 24 hour tape
recoding of the electrocardiogram, helpful in determining
irregular cardiac cardiac rhythms.
F) Depending on the likelihood of a
cardiac problem, other testing may be required. For example,
cardiac catheterization may be utilized when other tests do not
allow a definite diagnosis to be made.
5. If my child has an innocent murmur, will
he/she outgrow it?
Although innocent murmurs may be present
at any age, they most commonly first appear at 3-6 years and
tend to disappear with growth, usually due to changes in chest
configuration. However, whether the murmurs disappear is not
critical since they are normal sounds.
6. Will an innocent murmur turn into an organic
murmur later in life?
No, not to the best of our present
understanding.
7. Why was my child's murmur first detected
when undergoing an emergency examination for a fever?
The loudness of the murmur is related to
the velocity of blood flow. With fever, the velocity of blood
flow increases and that is usually the reason why some innocent
murmurs are first heard in the presence of fever.
8. Is an innocent murmur hereditary?
No, an innocent murmur is a normal sound and it
does not indicate any hereditary problems. Because murmurs are
common, however, it is not unusual for parents to have them as
well as their children.
9. Will a cardiac catheterization be required?
Generally speaking, an innocent murmur can be
diagnosed utilizing the physical examination and laboratory
tests as mentioned above. Cardiac catheterization is required to
make the exact diagnosis only in unusual cases.
10. If my child has an innocent heart murmur,
will physical activity need to be restricted?
No. Remember, an innocent murmur is a normal
sound. The child with an innocent murmur has a normal heart and,
therefore, should be treated as a normal person.
This information is general. Only your doctor can give you
precise details and instructions.
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