Can you get a heart murmur at any age?
Heart murmurs can be present at birth (congenital) or develop later in life. Heart murmurs can be harmless (innocent) or abnormal. An innocent heart murmur is not a sign of heart disease and doesn’t need treatment. Abnormal heart murmurs require follow-up testing to determine the cause.
Is there such a thing as a normal heart murmur?
Doctors may call these “innocent,” “functional,” or “normal” murmurs. They are caused by blood rushing through the valves in a normal heart and are nothing to worry about. One common type of normal murmur is Still’s murmur, named for the doctor who first described it.
When does a child’s heart murmur get louder?
This murmur is most often heard in healthy kids 3 to 7 years old. A normal murmur can get louder when the blood flows faster through the heart, like when kids have a fever or run around. That’s because an increase in body temperature or activity makes the heart pump more blood.
What causes abnormal heart murmurs in older adults?
In older children and adults, causes of abnormal heart murmurs include infections and conditions that damage the structures of the heart. For example: Valve calcification. This hardening or thickening of valves, as in mitral stenosis or aortic valve stenosis, can occur as you age.
What’s the difference between a Grade 1 Murmur and a Grade 4 murmur?
Systolic murmurs can also be functional (benign). Systolic murmurs are graded on a six-point scale. A grade 1 murmur is barely audible, a grade 2 murmur is louder and a grade 3 murmur is loud but not accompanied by a thrill. A grade 4 murmur is loud and associated with a palpable thrill.
Is it normal for a child to have a heart murmur?
Many heart murmurs are normal, extra sounds in children with strong, healthy hearts. These children don’t need treatment. Some of these heart murmurs may go away on their own with time. If the murmur is from a congenital heart defect, treatment may include medicine, procedures, or surgery.
What kind of sound is a heart murmur?
Innocent heart murmurs are sounds made by blood circulating through the heart’s chambers and valves, or through blood vessels near the heart. Innocent murmurs are common in children and are harmless. These heart murmurs are also called “normal” or “physiological” murmurs.
What’s the highest grade for a heart murmur?
Just like kids, murmurs have grades. Grade 1 is the softest-sounding murmur, and Grade 6 is the loudest. A murmur graded 4, 5, or 6 is so loud you can actually feel a rumbling from it under the skin if you put your hand on the person’s chest. Most murmurs don’t mean anything is wrong. But sometimes they are a sign of a problem with the heart.
What’s the difference between an innocent murmur and an abnormal murmur?
A heart murmur that is present in a normal and healthy heart is called an innocent murmur . These murmurs are common in infants and children, who can outgrow their heart murmurs completely. Adults may also have innocent murmurs. The other type of heart murmur, an abnormal murmur, is a sign of heart disease.