Does a heart murmur affect physical activity?
“In most cases, people with murmurs have no symptoms,” says Dr. Singh. But the most common symptoms athletes report include shortness of breath or chest pain with activity and a decrease in exercise capacity. Others can experience lightheadedness and fainting episodes.
Are there any signs or symptoms of a heart murmur?
Symptoms. If you have a harmless heart murmur, more commonly known as an innocent heart murmur, you likely won’t have any other signs or symptoms. An abnormal heart murmur may cause no obvious other signs or symptoms, aside from the unusual sound your doctor hears when listening to your heart with a stethoscope.
Are there any congenital defects that cause heart murmurs?
Common congenital defects that cause heart murmurs include: Holes in the heart or cardiac shunts. Known as septal defects, holes in the heart may or may not be serious, depending on the size of the hole and its location. Heart valve abnormalities.
Can a heart murmur be heard through a stethoscope?
Heart murmurs can be heard through a stethoscope. A heart murmur is when blood flows more rapidly than normal through the heart. Heart murmurs can be innocent and frequently happen during pregnancy, physical activity, or childhood growth spurts.
What causes a murmur in the left side of the heart?
Heart conditions that may cause heart murmurs include: Septal defects, like ventricular septal defects. These defects are congenital, which means you are born with them, and they are holes in the septum that separates the left and right side of the heart. A patent ductus arteriosus is also congenital.
Symptoms. If you have a harmless heart murmur, more commonly known as an innocent heart murmur, you likely won’t have any other signs or symptoms. An abnormal heart murmur may cause no obvious other signs or symptoms, aside from the unusual sound your doctor hears when listening to your heart with a stethoscope.
How to exercise with heart murmur and heart rate sensor?
An innocent murmur will not change the way you exercise or monitor your heart rate, whereas a functional murmur might require exercise modification, medications or surgery for correction. Ask for your personal maximum heart rate, or MHR, and target heart rate zones.
Can a baby with congenital heart disease have a murmur?
The underlying structural issue of the heart may cause problems; however, any heart murmurs are innocent and of no consequence. Newborns with congenital heart disease may have symptoms and signs of a heart murmur who have difficulty breathing and who are cyanotic.
How are blood pressures measured for heart murmurs?
In this test, a catheter is inserted into a vein or artery in your leg or arm until it reaches your heart. The pressures in your heart chambers can be measured, and dye can be injected. The dye can be seen on an X-ray, which helps your doctor see the blood flow through your heart, blood vessels and valves to check for problems.
