What Pediatric Surgeons In Chandigarh Say About Heart Murmurs In Children?
The heart is a crucial part of the human body, which makes it essential to ensure that it functions properly. Usually, when it beats, it makes the sound of "lub dub", but in some cases, it makes an extra noise when it flows through the heart. These swishing or whooshing sounds are the extra noises made by the blood upon flowing are known as murmurs. That is when you may need to search for the best pediatric heart surgeon near me. However, before that, you must learn about the condition.
In this blog, Dr Ashwani Bansal, one of the best pediatric cardiac surgeon in Chandigarh and Mohali has focused on learning about the conditions of heart murmurs in children:
The situation of heart murmurs
The normal heartbeat is 60-120 times a minute, depending upon the age of the person. Every heartbeat makes two sounds of "lub-dub". When the valve that manages blood flow between two chambers (upper to lower) closes, it makes the "lub" sound. However, then another valve, which controls blood out of the heart, closes, it is a "dub" sound.
In the case of a murmur, the heart makes an extra noise, which can be the sound of the normal blood flow through the heart normally. However, it can also be an indication of a severe heart condition. It can be present by birth or may develop later on, and can be abnormal or harmless.
For the case of an abnormal heart murmur, you would need follow-up testing from a good pediatric heart surgeon to learn about the cause and treatment can depend upon the causes of the condition. In the situation of an innocent heart murmur, it doesn’t indicate any severe heart condition and needs no treatment also.
Symptoms of Heart Murmurs
Here are the indications an abnormal heart murmur can have:
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Skin turning pale, particularly around fingertips and nails
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Immediate weight gain or swelling
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Poor appetite and problems in normal growth (in infants)
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Heavy sweating without having to perform a lot of activities
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Shortness of breath
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Severe cough
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Expanded neck veins and liver
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Dizziness
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Chest Pain
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Fainting
Risk Factors of Heart Murmurs
You can have more possibilities of heart murmurs if you come from a family with someone having an issue of the same kind. However, it is always advised to have timely check-ups from a good pediatric cardiac surgeon in Mohali, Chandigarh, or anywhere you reside. But generally, there can be several conditions that can cause an increase in the risk of heart murmurs, such as:
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Endocarditis: An infection of the heart lining
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Cardiomyopathy: A weekend muscle of the heart
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Hypereosinophilic Syndrome: Blood disorders with an increased number of eosinophils- some white cells
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High blood pressure
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Heart valve disease
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High blood pressure in the lungs
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Overactive thyroid
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Any history of heaving rheumatic fever
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Carcinoid Syndrome
If you are a mother with a rubella infection or uncontrolled diabetes during pregnancy, this may increase the possibility of heart murmurs and heart defects in your babies. Along with this, the consumption of certain medicines without any proper consultation by a good cardiac surgeon and even alcohol during pregnancy can be the cause of heart disorders in the child.
Diagnosis of Heart Murmur
Doctors learn about heartbeats using a stethoscope but as some of the heart murmurs are really soft, a doctor may need the child to be quiet. A murmur can be noticed during a normal checkup even if there were no traces of the same. Depending on factors such as how loud they are, heart murmurs are measured on a scale of 1 to 6. 1 can be for the murmurs that are soft while 6 can be used for the louder one. Upon finding a murmur, you will have to stay in touch with a pediatric cardiologist to proceed with further treatment. You can also consult Dr Ashwani Bansal by scheduling an appointment with him through his official website ABHeartCare.
Conclusion
In this blog, you became familiar with the condition of heart murmurs. The condition can come with several risk factors such as autoimmune disorders, pulmonary hypertension, hypertension, overactive thyroid, and many others. So, if your child faces any of the above-mentioned signs or you are in a need of learning more about the defect, you can make a search for the best pediatric heart surgeon near me and schedule an appointment there. You can also visit the official website of ABHeartCare.