Heart Murmurs
By: Jacob Rubin
Definition
Heart murmurs are continuous sounds that is audible with a common stethoscope, produced when blood passes through particular areas of the heart faster or slower than usual.
Causes
There are three different types of Heart Murmurs each with their own set of causes.
Functional: are caused when blood rushes through the heart quickly during normal function while no heart disease may exist.
Congenital: are due to abnormalities in the valves, septae, or arteries, and veins that carry blood to and from the heart.
Valve Abnormalities: Abnormalities of the valves of the heart may cause a heart murmur. Any of the heart valves may be affected and clinical symptoms depend upon the severity of the valve damage and whether the blood flow pattern within the heart is maintained
Functional: are caused when blood rushes through the heart quickly during normal function while no heart disease may exist.
Congenital: are due to abnormalities in the valves, septae, or arteries, and veins that carry blood to and from the heart.
Valve Abnormalities: Abnormalities of the valves of the heart may cause a heart murmur. Any of the heart valves may be affected and clinical symptoms depend upon the severity of the valve damage and whether the blood flow pattern within the heart is maintained
Heart Sounds ، Murmur
Incidences
Innocent Heart Murmurs are very common in children, if you were to take a large group of kids/young adults most of them have more than likely had a heart murmur at some point in their life. The more serious heart murmurs caused by faulty valves in the heart are slightly less common but are more dangerous to a person's overall health.
Prevention
In most cases, you can't prevent heart murmurs. An exception to this is to treat an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure, or avoiding heart valve infection, can stop heart murmurs before they start.
Risk Factors
There are multiple different things that can put you at risk of having heart murmurs. Such as; Having a Family history of heart defects, Certain Medical Conditions (Such as High Blood Pressure). Babies also have certain things that can affect their risk factor like: Illness during pregnancy, or if the mother is on certain medicines and or illegal drugs.
Treatment
Not all situations of heart murmurs require treatment, some go away by themselves. But in other cases where they aren't so small there are a few different ways your doctor can treat it. These ways include: Giving you Medicines to prevent blood-clots, control irregular heartbeat or palpitations, and lower blood pressure, Surgery to correct heart defects someone is born with, and or Surgery to correct certain types of heart valve disease
Resources
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"Heart Murmurs Causes, Treatments, Types, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
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"Heart Sounds Murmur." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
"Heart Murmurs Causes, Treatments, Types, and More." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
"Heart Murmur Treatment." Heart Murmur Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
"Cardiac Cycle." · Anatomy & Physiology. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
"Heart Murmurs." Risk Factors. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
"Heart Health Archives - Ask Doctor K." Ask Doctor K RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.