A person who has been taking medication for angina but is still experiencing frequent or severe chest pain may need either angioplasty to widen the narrowed artery, or coronary artery bypass surgery to create a different blood vessel for supplying the heart with blood.
Over the long run, the two procedures are equally successful in getting rid of chest pain and in preventing a heart attack or death. Angioplasty is an easier procedure to go through, however.
Some of its advantages are:
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
CARDIAC ARREST
What is cardiac arrest?
Cardiac arrest is the sudden, abrupt loss of heart function. The victim may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. It's also called sudden cardiac arrest or unexpected cardiac arrest. Sudden death (also called sudden cardiac death) occurs within minutes after symptoms appear.
What causes cardiac arrest?
The most common underlying reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease. Most cardiac arrests that lead to sudden death occur when the electrical impulses in the diseased heart become rapid (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation) or both. This irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. Some cardiac arrests are due to extreme slowing of the heart. This is called bradycardia.
Other factors besides heart disease and heart attack can cause cardiac arrest. They include respiratory arrest, electrocution, drowning, choking and trauma. Cardiac arrest can also occur without any known cause.
Can cardiac arrest be reversed?
Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4 to 6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest can be reversed if it's treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. A victim's chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes.
How many people survive cardiac arrest?
No statistics are available for the exact number of cardiac arrests that occur each year. It's estimated that more than 95 percent of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. In cities where defibrillation is provided within 5 to 7 minutes, the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is as high as 30–45 percent.
What can be done to increase the survival rate?
Early CPR and rapid defibrillation combined with early advanced care can result in high long-term survival rates for witnessed cardiac arrest. For instance, in June 1999, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were mounted 1 minute apart in plain view at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports. In the first 10 months, 14 cardiac arrests occurred, with 12 of the 14 victims in ventricular fibrillation. Nine of the 14 victims (64 percent) were revived with an AED and had no brain damage.
If bystander CPR was initiated more consistently, if AEDs were more widely available, and if every community could achieve a 20 percent cardiac arrest survival rate, an estimated 40,000 more lives could be saved each year. Death from sudden cardiac arrest is not inevitable. If more people react quickly by calling 9-1-1 and performing CPR, more lives can be saved.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Uploaded by info4yourlife. - Discover more college videos.
Cardiac arrest is the sudden, abrupt loss of heart function. The victim may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. It's also called sudden cardiac arrest or unexpected cardiac arrest. Sudden death (also called sudden cardiac death) occurs within minutes after symptoms appear.
What causes cardiac arrest?
The most common underlying reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease. Most cardiac arrests that lead to sudden death occur when the electrical impulses in the diseased heart become rapid (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation) or both. This irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. Some cardiac arrests are due to extreme slowing of the heart. This is called bradycardia.
Other factors besides heart disease and heart attack can cause cardiac arrest. They include respiratory arrest, electrocution, drowning, choking and trauma. Cardiac arrest can also occur without any known cause.
Can cardiac arrest be reversed?
Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4 to 6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest can be reversed if it's treated within a few minutes with an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. This process is called defibrillation. A victim's chances of survival are reduced by 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation succeed after 10 minutes.
How many people survive cardiac arrest?
No statistics are available for the exact number of cardiac arrests that occur each year. It's estimated that more than 95 percent of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. In cities where defibrillation is provided within 5 to 7 minutes, the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is as high as 30–45 percent.
What can be done to increase the survival rate?
Early CPR and rapid defibrillation combined with early advanced care can result in high long-term survival rates for witnessed cardiac arrest. For instance, in June 1999, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were mounted 1 minute apart in plain view at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports. In the first 10 months, 14 cardiac arrests occurred, with 12 of the 14 victims in ventricular fibrillation. Nine of the 14 victims (64 percent) were revived with an AED and had no brain damage.
If bystander CPR was initiated more consistently, if AEDs were more widely available, and if every community could achieve a 20 percent cardiac arrest survival rate, an estimated 40,000 more lives could be saved each year. Death from sudden cardiac arrest is not inevitable. If more people react quickly by calling 9-1-1 and performing CPR, more lives can be saved.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Uploaded by info4yourlife. - Discover more college videos.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
ARRHYTHMIAS OF HEART - PART 2
Is an arrhythmia serious?
In most people, arrhythmias are minor and are not dangerous. A small number of people, however, have arrhythmias that are dangerous and require treatment. Arrhythmias are also more serious if you have other heart problems. In general, arrhythmias that start in the lower chambers of the heart (called the ventricles) are more serious than those that start in the upper chambers (called the atria). Your doctor will talk with you about the type of arrhythmia you have and whether you need treatment.
Your doctor will ask if you have any of the symptoms listed in the box above. Your doctor may also do some tests. One of these tests is an electrocardiogram, also called ECG or EKG. During this test, your doctor will have you lie down so your heart can be monitored.
How do I know if I have an arrhythmia?
Your doctor may also ask you to walk on a treadmill while he or she monitors your heart, or may want to monitor your heart while you do your daily activities. One way to do this is to wear a machine, called a Holter monitor, that continuously records your heart's rhythms for 24 hours. If your doctor wants to monitor your heart for more than 24 hours, he or she might recommend an event-recorder, a machine that records samples of your heart's rhythms and can be worn for a couple of days or longer. Other tests, called electrophysiologic studies, may also give your doctor information about your heart.
What are some of the types of arrhythmias?
* Atrial fibrillation: The heart beats too fast and irregularly. This type of arrhythmia requires treatment and can increase your risk of stroke.
* Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia: The heart has episodes when it beats fast, but regularly. This type of arrhythmia may be unpleasant but is usually not dangerous.
* Ectopic beats: The heart has an extra beat. Treatment usually is not needed unless you have several extra beats in a row and/or other problems with your heart (such as heart disease or congenital heart failure).
* Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation: The heart beats too fast and may not pump enough blood. These types of arrhythmias are very dangerous and need immediate treatment.
What's the treatment?
Treatment depends on the type of arrhythmia you have. Some mild arrhythmias require no treatment. Other arrhythmias can be treated with medicines. If another health problem is causing the arrhythmia, treatment is aimed at taking care of that problem. In more serious cases, other treatments are available:
* An artificial pacemaker is an electronic device placed under the skin on the chest. It helps the heart maintain a regular beat, especially when the heart beats too slowly.
* Cardiac defibrillation (very brief electric shock) can be used to stop an abnormal rhythm and restore a normal one.
* Surgery can correct certain types of arrhythmias. For example, arrhythmias caused by coronary artery disease may be controlled by bypass surgery. When an arrhythmia is caused by a certain area of the heart, sometimes that part of the heart can be destroyed or removed.
In most people, arrhythmias are minor and are not dangerous. A small number of people, however, have arrhythmias that are dangerous and require treatment. Arrhythmias are also more serious if you have other heart problems. In general, arrhythmias that start in the lower chambers of the heart (called the ventricles) are more serious than those that start in the upper chambers (called the atria). Your doctor will talk with you about the type of arrhythmia you have and whether you need treatment.
Your doctor will ask if you have any of the symptoms listed in the box above. Your doctor may also do some tests. One of these tests is an electrocardiogram, also called ECG or EKG. During this test, your doctor will have you lie down so your heart can be monitored.
How do I know if I have an arrhythmia?
Your doctor may also ask you to walk on a treadmill while he or she monitors your heart, or may want to monitor your heart while you do your daily activities. One way to do this is to wear a machine, called a Holter monitor, that continuously records your heart's rhythms for 24 hours. If your doctor wants to monitor your heart for more than 24 hours, he or she might recommend an event-recorder, a machine that records samples of your heart's rhythms and can be worn for a couple of days or longer. Other tests, called electrophysiologic studies, may also give your doctor information about your heart.
What are some of the types of arrhythmias?
* Atrial fibrillation: The heart beats too fast and irregularly. This type of arrhythmia requires treatment and can increase your risk of stroke.
* Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia: The heart has episodes when it beats fast, but regularly. This type of arrhythmia may be unpleasant but is usually not dangerous.
* Ectopic beats: The heart has an extra beat. Treatment usually is not needed unless you have several extra beats in a row and/or other problems with your heart (such as heart disease or congenital heart failure).
* Ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation: The heart beats too fast and may not pump enough blood. These types of arrhythmias are very dangerous and need immediate treatment.
What's the treatment?
Treatment depends on the type of arrhythmia you have. Some mild arrhythmias require no treatment. Other arrhythmias can be treated with medicines. If another health problem is causing the arrhythmia, treatment is aimed at taking care of that problem. In more serious cases, other treatments are available:
* An artificial pacemaker is an electronic device placed under the skin on the chest. It helps the heart maintain a regular beat, especially when the heart beats too slowly.
* Cardiac defibrillation (very brief electric shock) can be used to stop an abnormal rhythm and restore a normal one.
* Surgery can correct certain types of arrhythmias. For example, arrhythmias caused by coronary artery disease may be controlled by bypass surgery. When an arrhythmia is caused by a certain area of the heart, sometimes that part of the heart can be destroyed or removed.
ARRHYTHMIAS OF HEART - PART 1
Heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) are problems that affect the electrical system, or "wiring," of the heart muscle. Heart arrhythmias are very common and millions of people will experience an abnormal heart rhythm some time during their lives. Most are not serious.
Many irregular heart rhythms are harmless and go away on their own. Often they are caused by factors not related to the heart. Some heart rhythm disorders, however, are serious and may put people at risk for sudden cardiac death.
An electrophysiologist is like a detective. Fainting is like a hit-and-run crime, because the person has not fainted in front of you.So you have to put certain pieces of information together to try and solve it, because there’s a very good possibility that fainting will happen again.
Click here: Heart's Electrical Conduction
What is an arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia is a change in the rhythm of your heartbeat. When the heart beats too fast, it's called tachycardia. When it beats too slow, it's called bradycardia. An arrhythmia can also mean that your heart beats irregularly (skips a beat or has an extra beat). At some time or another, most people have felt their heart race or skip a beat. These occasional changes can be brought on by strong emotions or exercise. They usually are not a cause for alarm. Arrhythmias that occur more often or cause symptoms may be more serious and need to be discussed with your doctor.
What are the symptoms of arrhythmia?
Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms, especially if you have heart disease or have had a heart attack.
* Palpitations or rapid thumping in your chest
* Feeling tired or light-headed
* Passing out
* Shortness of breath
* Chest pain
The heart has 4 compartments, or chambers. The walls of the heart squeeze together (contract) to push blood through the chambers. The contractions are controlled by an electrical signal that begins in the heart's natural "pacemaker" (called the sinoatrial node). The rate of the contractions is influenced by nerve impulses and hormones in the blood. A problem in any of these can cause an arrhythmia.
Minor arrhythmias may be caused by excessive alcohol use, smoking, caffeine, stress or exercise. The most common cause of arrhythmias is heart disease, particularly coronary artery disease, abnormal heart valve function and heart failure. However, arrhythmias can occur for no known reason.
Many irregular heart rhythms are harmless and go away on their own. Often they are caused by factors not related to the heart. Some heart rhythm disorders, however, are serious and may put people at risk for sudden cardiac death.
An electrophysiologist is like a detective. Fainting is like a hit-and-run crime, because the person has not fainted in front of you.So you have to put certain pieces of information together to try and solve it, because there’s a very good possibility that fainting will happen again.
Click here: Heart's Electrical Conduction
What is an arrhythmia?
An arrhythmia is a change in the rhythm of your heartbeat. When the heart beats too fast, it's called tachycardia. When it beats too slow, it's called bradycardia. An arrhythmia can also mean that your heart beats irregularly (skips a beat or has an extra beat). At some time or another, most people have felt their heart race or skip a beat. These occasional changes can be brought on by strong emotions or exercise. They usually are not a cause for alarm. Arrhythmias that occur more often or cause symptoms may be more serious and need to be discussed with your doctor.
What are the symptoms of arrhythmia?
Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms, especially if you have heart disease or have had a heart attack.
* Palpitations or rapid thumping in your chest
* Feeling tired or light-headed
* Passing out
* Shortness of breath
* Chest pain
The heart has 4 compartments, or chambers. The walls of the heart squeeze together (contract) to push blood through the chambers. The contractions are controlled by an electrical signal that begins in the heart's natural "pacemaker" (called the sinoatrial node). The rate of the contractions is influenced by nerve impulses and hormones in the blood. A problem in any of these can cause an arrhythmia.
Minor arrhythmias may be caused by excessive alcohol use, smoking, caffeine, stress or exercise. The most common cause of arrhythmias is heart disease, particularly coronary artery disease, abnormal heart valve function and heart failure. However, arrhythmias can occur for no known reason.
ECTOPIC HEART BEATS
# Ectopic heartbeat is an irregularity of the heart rate and heart rhythm involving extra or skipped heartbeats. Ectopic heartbeats are really just extra beats that make the heart 'bump' irregularly from time to time
# Ectopic heartbeats are small variations in an otherwise normal heartbeat that causes an irregular pulse. They may occur without an obvious cause and are usually harmless.
# Sometimes they are associated with chemical (electrolyte) problems in the blood, which need treatment. They can also happen with ischemia caused by a decrease in blood supply to the heart.
The difficulty with ectopic beats is that they tend to be more frequent and more noticeable when you're stressed or worried.
It is possible to find yourself in a bit of a vicious cycle with the ectopic beats adding to your anxiety and causing more palpitations.
Any additional unpleasant stress, such as period problems, is likely to add to your symptoms for the same reason.
# Ectopic beats were found in normal people who did not even feel that they had them. Even though there are causes of ectopic beats and they are various and they include:
1. Drinking too much caffeinated beverages.
2. Drinking alcohol.
3. Smoking cigarettes.
4. Exhaustion.
5. Not getting enough sleep.
6. Abnormal electrolytes in the blood.
7. Having a hyperactive thyroid gland.
# The ectopic beats, if they are few and far between, may be ignored. If you are anxious and ECG does not show anything, testing with Holter Monitor will find the answer.
# In adults, ectopic beats are common. Their causes should be investigated even if it turns out that no treatment is needed.
# Ectopic heartbeats are small variations in an otherwise normal heartbeat that causes an irregular pulse. They may occur without an obvious cause and are usually harmless.
# Sometimes they are associated with chemical (electrolyte) problems in the blood, which need treatment. They can also happen with ischemia caused by a decrease in blood supply to the heart.
The difficulty with ectopic beats is that they tend to be more frequent and more noticeable when you're stressed or worried.
It is possible to find yourself in a bit of a vicious cycle with the ectopic beats adding to your anxiety and causing more palpitations.
Any additional unpleasant stress, such as period problems, is likely to add to your symptoms for the same reason.
# Ectopic beats were found in normal people who did not even feel that they had them. Even though there are causes of ectopic beats and they are various and they include:
1. Drinking too much caffeinated beverages.
2. Drinking alcohol.
3. Smoking cigarettes.
4. Exhaustion.
5. Not getting enough sleep.
6. Abnormal electrolytes in the blood.
7. Having a hyperactive thyroid gland.
# The ectopic beats, if they are few and far between, may be ignored. If you are anxious and ECG does not show anything, testing with Holter Monitor will find the answer.
# In adults, ectopic beats are common. Their causes should be investigated even if it turns out that no treatment is needed.
Monday, November 1, 2010
HEART ENLARGEMENT
Heart enlargement can be pathological (related to significant heart disease) or physiological (related to exercise or other physical activity). Any sustained condition or activity that makes the heart work harder can enlarge it, including:
* Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure (the force of blood against artery walls).Heart failure
* Coronary artery disease
* Valve disease
* High blood pressure (hypertension)
* Obesity
* Coronary artery spasm
* Cardiac ischemia
* Thyroid disease
* Severe anemia
* Excess iron or protein build-up in the body
* Excessive alcohol use
* Obstructive sleep apnea
# A different sort of enlarged heart is known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This form of cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart’s muscles thicken abnormally. This thickening usually happens in the left ventricle since it is the main pumping muscle.
# Additionally, a small number of patients have an enlarged heart with no known cause (idiopathic).
# Another condition, sometimes referred to as “athlete’s heart,” can occur in high-level athletes who engage in regular, sustained and often intense exercise. In most cases, this is not a medically significant or dangerous condition for them.
Treatment and prevention
Treatment for an enlarged heart may include medications, such as ACE inhibitors, to lighten the heart’s pumping load and keep it from further enlargement. Treatment should also be directed at the cause of the enlarged heart (e.g., high blood pressure, valvular heart disease). Medications such as diuretics may be prescribed for those with heart failure.
Prevention of the underlying diseases that could cause the heart to enlarge, and early diagnosis once it has developed, is crucial. This includes:
* Eating a balanced, low-fat diet
* Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels
* Keeping blood pressure under control
* Engaging in a regular exercise program
* Visiting the physician regularly
Proper management, such as controlling high blood pressure, treating valve disease and discontinuing alcohol consumption may reverse an enlarged heart.
* Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure (the force of blood against artery walls).Heart failure
* Coronary artery disease
* Valve disease
* High blood pressure (hypertension)
* Obesity
* Coronary artery spasm
* Cardiac ischemia
* Thyroid disease
* Severe anemia
* Excess iron or protein build-up in the body
* Excessive alcohol use
* Obstructive sleep apnea
# A different sort of enlarged heart is known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This form of cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart’s muscles thicken abnormally. This thickening usually happens in the left ventricle since it is the main pumping muscle.
# Additionally, a small number of patients have an enlarged heart with no known cause (idiopathic).
# Another condition, sometimes referred to as “athlete’s heart,” can occur in high-level athletes who engage in regular, sustained and often intense exercise. In most cases, this is not a medically significant or dangerous condition for them.
Treatment and prevention
Treatment for an enlarged heart may include medications, such as ACE inhibitors, to lighten the heart’s pumping load and keep it from further enlargement. Treatment should also be directed at the cause of the enlarged heart (e.g., high blood pressure, valvular heart disease). Medications such as diuretics may be prescribed for those with heart failure.
Prevention of the underlying diseases that could cause the heart to enlarge, and early diagnosis once it has developed, is crucial. This includes:
* Eating a balanced, low-fat diet
* Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels
* Keeping blood pressure under control
* Engaging in a regular exercise program
* Visiting the physician regularly
Proper management, such as controlling high blood pressure, treating valve disease and discontinuing alcohol consumption may reverse an enlarged heart.
HEART MUSCLE
A type of muscle found only in the walls of the heart; it is under control of the autonomic nervous system.
Cardiac muscle is like skeletal muscle in that it is striated and multinucleate, and like smooth muscle in that the nuclei are centrally located and many cells are required to span the length of the muscle. It differs from both skeletal muscle and smooth muscle in that its cells branch and are joined to one another via intercalated disks. Intercalated disks allow communication between the cells such that there is a sequential contraction of the cells from the bottom of the ventricle to the top. This makes possible the maximal ejection of blood from the ventricle during contraction and occurs without nervous innervation to each cell or group of cells.
Cardiac muscle also differs from the other two muscle types in that contraction can occur even without an initial nervous input. The cells that produce the stimulation for contraction without nervous input are called the pacemaker cells.
How cardiac muscle contracts?
Action potentials initiate the contraction of our hearts. The contraction of cardiac muscle is triggered in a different fashion then contraction of the skeletal muscle, which is caused by the electrical impulses from motor nerve terminals located at individual muscle fibers. These motor nerve terminals are networked and coordinated by the central nervous system.
Contrary to the skeletal muscle cells, the heart cells have no motor nerve terminals attached to them. If each of the millions of cardiac muscle cells were to have a separate nerve, the heart would be a huge organ. The cells of the heart remedy this lack of motor nerve terminals by using their own type of stimulus. They communicate with each other directly by passing electrical impulse to their neighbors through special channels called gap-junctions. This enables the heart to be stimulated at only one location, with the electrical impulse passing on to the rest of the heart muscle, causing it to contract.
What exactly happens to the muscle cells when they are stimulated?
Inside each cardiomyocyte are hundreds of myofibrils which are thin, elongated structures. Each myofibril, in turn, consists of thin filaments and thick filaments. Each of the thin filaments is composed of a protein called actin. Each of the thick filaments is composed of a protein called myosin. Each myosin filament is composed of about 200 myosin molecules. Each myosin molecule contains what is called a myosin head. Inside each cardiomyocyte there are compartments filled with calcium. The action potential causes these compartments to release the calcium into the cell. This calcium allows myosin heads to bind to actin filaments and pull them by a process called a power stroke. That is how action potential causes the individual muscle cells to contract.
Cardiac muscle is like skeletal muscle in that it is striated and multinucleate, and like smooth muscle in that the nuclei are centrally located and many cells are required to span the length of the muscle. It differs from both skeletal muscle and smooth muscle in that its cells branch and are joined to one another via intercalated disks. Intercalated disks allow communication between the cells such that there is a sequential contraction of the cells from the bottom of the ventricle to the top. This makes possible the maximal ejection of blood from the ventricle during contraction and occurs without nervous innervation to each cell or group of cells.
Cardiac muscle also differs from the other two muscle types in that contraction can occur even without an initial nervous input. The cells that produce the stimulation for contraction without nervous input are called the pacemaker cells.
How cardiac muscle contracts?
Action potentials initiate the contraction of our hearts. The contraction of cardiac muscle is triggered in a different fashion then contraction of the skeletal muscle, which is caused by the electrical impulses from motor nerve terminals located at individual muscle fibers. These motor nerve terminals are networked and coordinated by the central nervous system.
Contrary to the skeletal muscle cells, the heart cells have no motor nerve terminals attached to them. If each of the millions of cardiac muscle cells were to have a separate nerve, the heart would be a huge organ. The cells of the heart remedy this lack of motor nerve terminals by using their own type of stimulus. They communicate with each other directly by passing electrical impulse to their neighbors through special channels called gap-junctions. This enables the heart to be stimulated at only one location, with the electrical impulse passing on to the rest of the heart muscle, causing it to contract.
What exactly happens to the muscle cells when they are stimulated?
Inside each cardiomyocyte are hundreds of myofibrils which are thin, elongated structures. Each myofibril, in turn, consists of thin filaments and thick filaments. Each of the thin filaments is composed of a protein called actin. Each of the thick filaments is composed of a protein called myosin. Each myosin filament is composed of about 200 myosin molecules. Each myosin molecule contains what is called a myosin head. Inside each cardiomyocyte there are compartments filled with calcium. The action potential causes these compartments to release the calcium into the cell. This calcium allows myosin heads to bind to actin filaments and pull them by a process called a power stroke. That is how action potential causes the individual muscle cells to contract.
HEART MURMURS
What Is a Heart Murmur?
A heart murmur is a whooshing sound between the beats that a doctor hears through a stethoscope. The whoosh is just an extra noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart.
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 heart murmurs don't mean anything is wrong. 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.
Even though most murmurs do not mean anything is wrong, sometimes a heart problem can cause a murmur. The heart may have a hole in it, a heart valve may leak, or a valve may not open all the way.
A heart murmur is a whooshing sound between the beats that a doctor hears through a stethoscope. The whoosh is just an extra noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart.
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 heart murmurs don't mean anything is wrong. 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.
Even though most murmurs do not mean anything is wrong, sometimes a heart problem can cause a murmur. The heart may have a hole in it, a heart valve may leak, or a valve may not open all the way.
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