Sounds of Danger – 4 Must-Know Facts about the Heart Murmurs

The sound and rhythm of the heart hold clues to the underlying heart condition and, for that matter, any illness and medical condition. This is precisely why the diagnosis of every medical disease, big or small, starts with a doctor putting a stethoscope near the patient’s heart.

“Any deviation from the regular sound of rhythm is a sign of concern, and heart murmurs are abnormal heart sounds that warrant the most attention. The complications can include heart failure, blood clots, and stroke when not treated”, says the best heart surgeon in Hyderabad, Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale.

So, what is a heart murmur?

A heart murmur is an abnormal sound happening/heard during a regular heartbeat. It typically sounds like a swishing and whooshing noise caused by the unnaturally turbulent blood flow near the heart.

So, are heart murmurs dangerous? “Well, they can be. In some cases, heart murmurs are harmless, while in others, they may be a sign of an underlying heart condition,’ says the heart transplant surgeon in Hyderabad, Dr. Al Gopala Krishna Gokhale.

This duality is what gives rise to most popular misconceptions about heart murmurs. So, in this blog, we dispel these misconceptions and list popular facts about this condition with the insights of Dr. Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale. Read on to know them:

There Are Innocent Heart Murmurs Which Are Harmless: An innocent heart murmur is a functional heart murmur, which is quite normal and common. The sound of innocent heart murmurs occurs due to the normal blood flow through the heart.

An innocent heart murmur can happen during childhood and go away independently. So, the word heart murmur may not constantly be worrying because the murmur can be an innocent one. But only an expert heart surgeon can differentiate and tell whether one needs to worry, so rest assured until the diagnosis.

Not All Heart Murmurs Need Medical Attention: Not all heart murmurs are dangerous, but all heart murmurs will need medical attention because only a medical expert can diagnose their nature. But that’s not all:

• Heart murmurs can grow progressively with children. What was once innocent may turn into symptoms of a heart condition.
• Identifying and evaluating the heart condition is extremely important to reduce the complications and provide the proper treatment. So, while not all heart murmurs need treatment, a heart specialist must monitor every heart murmur.

Heart Murmur Can Be a Sign of Serious Medical Condition: Though most heart murmurs are innocent, in a few cases, these abnormal sounds can be symptoms of severe heart conditions too. A not-so-innocent heart murmur can be caused by structural heart abnormalities, valve disorders, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, systemic diseases, infectious endocarditis, and congenital heart defects.

Treatment for Heart Murmur is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Solution: Heart murmurs and the symptoms of heart murmurs may vary based on the underlying conditions that are causing them. So naturally, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for heart murmurs.

Innocent heart murmurs may not need treatment but only monitoring. Abnormal heart murmurs’ symptoms and severity may vary, and the underlying cause is first identified to treat the heart murmur. While some heart murmur conditions are treated by medication and lifestyle interventions, others may need surgical interventions. Only a heart specialist specializing in these abnormal heart conditions can perfectly diagnose and treat heart murmur conditions. If you are in Hyderabad and are looking for a heart specialist specializing in the treatment of heart murmurs, you can contact Heart Specialist Dr. Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale here.