“Is heart murmur serious?”
I had a physical with my primary physician about a week ago and he says I have a heart murmur. Is heart murmur serious? I'm 32 years old and female.
4 Answers
Mark Rasak
Cardiologist
Depends on the type of murmur. a murmur is simply a sound caused by turbulence noted on a physical exam. Most murmurs are benign, but without more history, a detailed response isn't possible. If your doctor was concerned, an echocardiogram would have been ordered to assess this further.
It depends o n the type of the murmur. A murmur is a noise that the blood makes when it passes through a heart valve moving forward, or when the blood leaks back through a leaky valve. Usually, the examining doctor should have a pretty good idea whether the murmur is not serious or it needs further evaluation, such as a referral to a cardiologist who may make that determination with a physical examination, and if necessary, do an echocardiogram.
There are a number of causes for a heart murmur, most are quite benign, but some do need further investigation. I would ask your doctor what sort of murmur it is and if any further tests are needed. As I said, most are not important, but for your peace of mind, you need to know what it is.
Regards,
Gerald Lewis, MD
Regards,
Gerald Lewis, MD
A heart murmur can mean many things. If it’s new you definitely should have it worked up with an echocardiogram to assess the valves.
J
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