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See How Much You Know About Heart Murmurs
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A heart murmur is a form of heart disease.
True
False
The correct answer is: False
A heart murmur is not an actual disease. It is an abnormal sound ? such as a whooshing or swishing ? made by turbulent blood as it flows through the heart. Heart murmurs can be heard with a stethoscope. While a heart murmur is not a disease, it could indicate an underlying heart problem. -
Heart murmurs are common in children.
True
False
The correct answer is: True
Cardiologists estimate that as many as 90 percent of all children will have a heart murmur at some point in time. In most cases, these are harmless or "innocent" murmurs and do not require lifestyle changes or treatment. However, a heart murmur may require follow-up tests to be sure it isn't caused by a serious heart condition. -
Heart murmurs are always present at birth.
True
False
The correct answer is: False
Some heart murmurs are congenital, that is present at birth. But heart murmurs may occur later in life. A variety of conditions can lead to a heart murmur including rheumatic fever, heart disease, infective endocarditis, anemia, overactive thyroid, high blood pressure and pregnancy. -
A heart murmur can be a symptom of heart valve disease.
True
False
The correct answer is: True
A heart valve is a 'one-way door' that keeps blood moving in your heart. Defective heart valves are a common cause of a heart murmur. When the valve doesn't open completely, called Stenosis, the heart has to work harder to pump the same amount of blood through the body. When it doesn't close completely, called Insufficiency or Regurgitation, blood may back up in the lungs. -
Many heart murmurs have no symptoms at all.
True
False
The correct answer is: True
In fact, most people with a heart murmur do not have any symptoms. These murmurs are usually innocent (harmless). However, some people do have heart murmur symptoms that signify a more serious heart problem. These symptoms may include:
- Fatigue
- Swelling of the feet, ankles or abdomen
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath after exercise or when lying flat
- Racing or irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain that's unrelated to heart attack or coronary artery disease
- Blue coloring of the skin, especially on the fingertips and inside the mouth
- Excessive sweating
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There are a variety of ways that a heart murmur can be diagnosed.
True
False
The correct answer is: True
Heart murmurs are usually detected when your doctor listens to your heart using a stethoscope during a physical exam. If the doctor thinks the heart murmur is abnormal, additional test may be required. These may include one or more of the following:
- Chest X-ray
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Echocardiogram
- Cardiac catheterization
- Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
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If I have an abnormal heart murmur, surgery is the only treatment.
True
False
The correct answer is: False
The treatment options will vary depending upon the underlying heart condition that caused the heart murmur. For innocence heart murmurs, typically no treatment is indicated. For abnormal heart murmurs, medication may be used to help regulate the heart beat and make the heart squeeze harder, prevent blood clots, remove excess fluid from your body, or lower blood pressure or cholesterol. Antibiotics may be prescribed before dental work or certain kinds of surgery to avoid a heart infection. Surgery or a catheterization procedure may be needed to repair a hole in the heart, replace or repair a heart valve, rebuild a blood vessel or widen a blood vessel with a stent.Washington Hospital Center is the only place to go for heart surgery. Schedule an appointment or second opinion with one of our top surgeons or call 202-877-DOCS. Or order a free information kit about our cardiac surgery program.
Learn more about Heart Murmurs.