How To Understand Heart Murmurs

UNDERSTANDING Heart Murmurs A heart murmur is not always an indicator of heart disease When the normal heart beats, two separate sounds are made, creating a "lub-Dub." These sounds are caused by the valves of the heart closing as blood moves through the heart. What Each beat of the heart is a two-phase process: is a heart murmur? A murmur is an extra sound that your doctor hears with a stethoscope. A heart murmur car sound like a whooshing or swishing noise. For example: "lub-woosh-Dub." Mitral Aortic Pmonary iuspid During systole the heart contracts and the mitral During diastole the heart relases and the acrtic and and tricuspid valves close. the pulmonary valves This make the first heart close. This makes second heart sound: "Dub" There are two types of heart murmurs: sound: "lub" 1. Innocent 2. Pathological Most heart murmurs heard in children are called "innocent heart Murmurs that are caused by a problem in the heart are called murmurs." They are caused by the sound of the blood moving through the normal heart. It is as if you put your ear to a water pipe and heard the water flowing through it. More than 50% of healthy children will have a heart murmur at some point in their "pathological heart murmurs." They are caused by an abnormality in the heart that causes the blood to make a certain noise as it moves through that area of the heart. This can be caused by valvar Stenosis lives. An innocent murmur is not a cause for concern and disease or holes in the heart. Valves can requires no treatment or change in activity. have stenosis, regurgitation or both * Regurgitation How are Doctors can often tell the difference between an "innocent" murmur and a "pathological murmur just by listening with a stethoscope. Depending on what your doctor hears, they may refer you to a pediatric cardiologist who can recommend additional tests. These tests, explained murmurs diagnosed? below, can determine the exact cause of the murmur. 1 Electrocardiogram Echocardiogram Chest X-ray 3 Electrocardiograms can detect changes in heart rhythms or chamber sizes. Echocardiograms use ultrasounds to create images of the heart and evaluate anatomy and function. A chest xray screens for an enlarged heart, signs of abnormal circulation or heart muscle failure. Learn more at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago luriechildrens.org/heart