A murmur doesn’t cause noticeable effects on its own. Certain heart murmurs are completely harmless and are not associated with any health problems at all. But other heart murmurs are signs of heart disease, and you may experience fatigue, shortness of breath, or other complications of your heart condition.

Can a slight heart murmur get worse?

If you have gone through treatment to replace or repair a heart valve, your murmur may change sound or go away completely. Likewise, murmurs can get worse if a condition goes untreated or becomes more serious. Your heart is unique, and some heart murmurs can change over time.

Can a heart murmur be life threatening?

Many heart murmurs aren’t life-threatening and don’t need treatment. But other heart murmurs do need treatment because they’re a sign of an underlying problem with your heart. It’s important to remember that if you’ve been diagnosed with a heart murmur, that doesn’t mean you’ll always have it.

How long can you live with a heart murmur?

If you or your child has an innocent heart murmur, you can live a completely normal life. It will not cause you any problems and is not a sign of an issue with your heart. If you have a murmur along with any of the following symptoms, see your doctor: You are very tired.

Can a heart murmur cause a stroke?

Heart Murmur Complications Abnormal heart murmurs themselves don’t cause complications, but underlying conditions may cause serious complications such as heart attack or stroke, heart failure, poor growth (in infants and children) and other serious issues.

When should I be concerned about a heart murmur?

When to see a doctor Most heart murmurs aren’t serious, but if you think you or your child has a heart murmur, make an appointment to see your family doctor. Your doctor can tell you if the heart murmur is innocent and doesn’t require any further treatment or if an underlying heart problem needs to be further examined.

Do heart murmurs make you tired?

People with an abnormal heart murmur may have symptoms of the problem causing the murmur. Symptoms can include: Feeling weak or tired. Shortness of breath, especially with exercise.

What does a heart murmur indicate?

A heart murmur is a whooshing, humming or rasping sound between the heartbeat sounds. This is caused by noisy blood flow within the heart. Blood can flow abnormally through the heart for many reasons, including defective valves, congenital heart disorders and anaemia.

What does a heart murmur feel like in adults?

A typical heart murmur sounds like a whooshing noise. According to the American Heart Association, it usually feels like a very subtle extra pulse.

What percent of heart murmurs are harmless?

If you have been told you have a heart murmur, it is more than likely an innocent murmur, or completely harmless. “ About 10 percent of adults and 30 percent of children (most between the ages of 3 and 7) have a harmless murmur,” says Dr. Agrawal. “The key is to find the harmful murmurs.

What happens if a heart murmur goes untreated?

If they narrow, which doctors call stenosis, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the rest of your body. If left untreated, it can wear out your heart and lead to heart failure. You might be born with this. It can also happen as part of aging, or because of scarring from infections such as rheumatic fever.

What are two possible causes for heart murmurs?

Causes

• Flow murmurs: Exercise, pregnancy, and anemia can all cause a high blood flow, as can hyperthyroidism, fever, and rapid growth spurts.
• Valve disease-related murmurs: Problems with a valve in the heart, such as aortic stenosis or a bicuspid aortic valve, can lead to a heart murmur.

What medication is given for heart murmur?

Treatment depends on the heart condition causing the murmur and may include medications or surgery. Some medications your doctor might give you include:

• Blood thinners (anticoagulants).
• Water pills (diuretics).
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
• Statins.
• Beta blockers.

Can stress cause heart murmurs?

Stress and anxiety can cause a heart murmur that’s considered a physiologic heart murmur. However, it’s more likely that a heart murmur would be caused by an underlying heart condition, anemia, or hyperthyroidism.

Do heart murmurs cause chest pain?

Most heart murmurs in well-developed children are harmless. In adults, heart abnormalities may cause chest pain, and heart failure with symptoms of shortness of breath and swelling of the extremities. Palpitations or a sensation of an irregular heartbeat are occasionally seen in people with heart valve abnormalities.