Causes of a heart murmur in an adult and a child

Murmurs in the heart can be both a harmless physiological phenomenon and a symptom of pathology of the heart or blood vessels.

It is possible to determine how dangerous such a phenomenon is by some signs. But for this you need to visit a cardiologist and be examined. He will establish the reasons why a heart murmur occurs in an adult or a child, and will tell you how to proceed further so that a fairly harmless symptom does not turn into a serious illness.

Physiology of heart murmurs

In order to understand why and how a pericardial friction rub occurs, one should know how the heart itself is arranged and how it functions. It is a hollow organ made up of muscle tissue.

Inside it are four chambers:

• two atria;
• two stomachs.

They are located symmetrically. Between the chambers there are valves - in the left ventricle it is a bicuspid atrioventricular valve, and in the right - a tricuspid valve. The aorta departs from the left ventricle, and the pulmonary artery from the right ventricle, there are also valves between them.

When the heart fills with blood, its chambers expand, then it contracts and forcefully pushes blood into the lungs - this causes a knock that can be heard if you put your ear or a stethoscope to your chest. In medicine, these sounds are called tones. They also occur when the valves are closed. Tones can be of different intensity and frequency depending on how the heart works.

But sometimes, between two tones in the pauses, other sounds are heard - noises.

They can occur for the following reasons:

• discrepancy between the size of the hole through which blood must pass, the volume of physiological fluid;
• swirl of blood in the vessels;
• a sharp change in the rate of blood circulation.

All these phenomena, if a person is healthy and the heart works correctly, do not occur. If they are, this indicates any deviations - including congenital heart defects.

Such anomalies are classified as small, which usually do not require hospitalization and therapy, but only constant monitoring by a doctor.

Types of murmurs in the heart

Although heart murmurs are not always a serious malformation that requires urgent treatment, most cardiologists consider them dangerous. Deviations can go away on their own. But if such a phenomenon is detected, it is better not to neglect the constant supervision of a doctor.

Noises according to their etiology can be of two types:

• organic;
• inorganic.

Organic heart murmurs (or congenital) indicate that any pathology of the heart or blood vessels is developing. Very often, organic noise is detected in newborns - as a rule, the causes are in the imperfection of the cardiovascular system, as the child develops, this defect will disappear on its own without specific treatment. Such heart murmurs do not pose any danger to health, and even more so to life, and completely disappear with time.

Symptoms and diagnosis of heart murmurs

Heart murmurs in children and adults can be both functional and pathological. To find out exactly this, a thorough examination by a cardiologist is necessary.

As a rule, they are detected by chance, during a routine examination or with complaints of other diseases.

Visually, the doctor may suspect heart murmurs by the following signs:

• pallor of the patient's skin, anemia, general weakening;
• trembling of the upper and lower extremities;
• strong weight loss;
• shortness of breath that occurs even at rest;
• tachycardia;
• swelling of the legs;
• nervous behavior, irritability, aggressiveness for no reason;
• recurring dizziness, fatigue;
• sudden mood swings.

Heart murmurs rarely occur in isolation, in almost all cases they are accompanied by some other disease or are its symptom. The doctor always pays attention to other complaints of the patient, conducts a detailed survey in order to collect an anamnesis and make a correct diagnosis.

Organic pericardial friction noise requires constant medical supervision. This does not mean that a person needs to be hospitalized, but it is necessary to visit a cardiologist every few months.

The patient has been aware of his pathology since childhood, understands the importance of such visits and usually does not miss them. At the slightest deterioration, the doctor prescribes a comprehensive examination.

To accurately identify heart murmurs and determine their cause, the following diagnostic methods are used:

1. Auscultation - a cardiologist listens to the patient's chest in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heart. By the nature of the noise and their intensity, it is possible to determine the cause of such a symptom with a high degree of accuracy.
2. Electrocardiogram - this method allows you to determine whether the pericardial friction rub really indicates that a serious pathology is developing.
3. ECHO - this method of examining the heart using ultrasound, it can be used to accurately determine the state of the heart and blood vessels, where exactly the problem is localized.
4. FCG - makes it possible to identify even the most insignificant sounds in the heart, if there is doubt about the alleged diagnosis.

You will also need to do a laboratory blood test to get an idea of ​​​​the level of hemoglobin and white blood cells. A biochemical detailed blood test is also needed to identify or exclude impaired functioning of the kidneys and liver. The last blood test that will need to be done is a hormonal one, showing the level of thyroid and adrenal hormones.

Based on the results of the tests, the cardiologist accurately diagnoses and determines the necessary treatment. If the problem is iron deficiency anemia, then it will be necessary to drink a course of preparations containing this element and follow a diet. As the hemoglobin level recovers, the noises will also disappear. Somewhat more difficult therapy for dysfunction of the thyroid gland or adrenal glands. But today these deviations are also successfully treated.

Peculiarities of heart murmurs in children

Pericardial friction rub is often detected in young children. Although in most cases such noises turn out to be “innocent”, the child still needs to undergo a full examination.

For this reason, parents should ensure that the same specialist sees the child, who will be familiar with his medical history and will be able to track the slightest changes in heart function or general health in time.

Just a murmur is not a serious heart defect, even if it has been diagnosed for many years:

1. Physical activity in this case is not contraindicated.
2. The child can live a full life, play sports, actively play and relax.

If the examination revealed heart defects that pose a danger to the life of the child, surgical intervention will be required to eliminate it. To date, cardiac surgery has developed so much that it allows you to successfully perform an operation of any complexity without a threat to life using sophisticated modern equipment.