A heart murmur is an extra sound in your heartbeat that doesn’t belong there. At Advanced Heart Care Associates, which has a location in Henderson, Nevada and two locations in Las Vegas, Nevada, a board-certified cardiologist can listen to your heart and offer tests to find out if your heart murmur is harmless or needs treatment. To schedule an appointment, call either office or book online today.
A heart murmur is a swishing sound in your heartbeat that doesn’t belong. Normally, each beat of your heart consists of two distinct thumps. With a heart murmur, there is a third sound that happens as turbulent blood flows across a valve. Some heart murmurs are not a cause for concern and do not need treatment, but others do.
Harmless heart murmurs do not normally cause any other symptoms besides the abnormal heartbeat. However, an abnormal heart murmur that may need treatment can also show up with:
You should consider scheduling a visit at Advanced Heart Care Associates if you’re concerned about the sound of your heartbeat or notice any symptoms indicative of a cardiovascular condition.
Some heart murmurs are present from birth because of your heart’s natural structure. Some last for your entire life, while others are temporary conditions. In any case, your provider at Advanced Heart Care Associates investigates your heart murmur with a physical exam and electrocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, or other possible tests.
You may have an abnormal heart murmur because of:
Your provider searches for signs of these issues if they determine your heart murmur is not innocent. Innocent heart murmurs are more likely to come from factors like anemia, pregnancy, growth phases during adolescence, or hypothyroidism.
Only abnormal heart murmurs require treatment. Your provider at Advanced Heart Care Associates may track your heart murmur over time before starting any treatment for it. Depending on the underlying structural problem causing your heart murmur, your treatment may consist of:
Various medications can treat a heart murmur by improving blood flow, such as diuretics, statins, anticoagulants, and beta-blockers.
Valve replacement or repair can treat faulty valves that cannot serve their proper function in the heart.
To learn more about heart murmurs and the treatments available for them, call Advanced Heart Care Associates or book an appointment online today.