Heart murmurs can be diastolic, systolic, or continuous, and can be innocent or abnormal. Innocent murmurs are harmless, while abnormal ones may indicate heart problems. Symptoms can include blue skin, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Causes include faster blood flow, anemia, and birth defects. Diagnosis is done through a physical exam, and treatment may include medication or surgery.
An unusual sound made by the heart is called a heart murmur. Heart murmurs can be diastolic, systolic, or continuous, depending on when they occur. A diastolic heart murmur is a noise made while the heart is filling with blood. Systolic heart murmurs occur when the heart is pumping blood. If a heart murmur is heard during the entire heartbeat, it is classified as continuous.
There are two basic types of heart murmur, whether it is a diastolic heart murmur or another classification. An innocent heart murmur does not indicate any problems with the heart. In other words, it’s usually a harmless medical condition. If it is classified as abnormal, the patient may have other heart problems, such as a problem with the heart valves.
Patients with an innocent heart murmur typically will not experience any symptoms of the condition. An abnormal heart murmur can cause blue skin, particularly on the fingers and lips, shortness of breath, and weight gain. This condition can also cause chest pain, dizziness and fainting, as well as excessive sweating. It is also possible that sufferers of this condition will not experience any symptoms.
An innocent diastolic heart murmur, or other types, can be caused by any activity or condition that causes faster blood flow. This could include exercise, pregnancy or fever. It can also be caused by anemia, or a lack of adequate red blood cells, and hyperthyroidism, which is too much thyroid hormone.
Heart murmurs that are abnormal and occur in babies can be caused by a congenital birth defect. Possible defects include abnormalities in the heart valves or holes in the heart. An adult with an abnormal heart murmur may have had endocarditis, which is an infection of the lining of the heart. It can also be caused by rheumatic fever or calcification of the valves, which means that the heart valves become hard.
A diastolic heart murmur can be diagnosed during a routine physical exam. Doctors can detect unusual noises with a stethoscope. Sometimes, this condition can be diagnosed at birth. If a diastolic or other heart murmur is suspected, the patient may be referred to a specialist, such as a cardiologist.
Innocent heart murmurs typically require no special treatment. Treating an underlying medical condition, such as hyperthyroidism, can resolve it. Abnormal heart murmurs may require monitoring and medication, such as blood pressure lowering medications. Sometimes a patient may need surgery to rebuild a blood vessel or to repair or replace a heart valve.
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