Aren't Heart Murmurs Signs of Serious Heart Disease?

Aren't Heart Murmurs Signs of Serious Heart Disease?

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QUESTION: Though I have never been told before that I had a murmur of the
heart, at age 78 my physician has now discovered one. He has been very
careful in examining me and taking all types of tests, including a cardiogram,
and now assures me that I have nothing to worry about. I thought that murmurs
were signs of heart disease. Could it be my family physician is just being
gentle with an older man?
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ANSWER: Not at all; it sounds like he has taken all the steps necessary to
satisfy both you and himself of the reasons which provoked the sounds he has
detected. Heart murmurs are merely sounds produced by the flow of blood
through the chambers of the heart, and around the valves of the heart which
control the direction of blood flow. When the smooth flow is disturbed by
changes in the structure of the heart or its valves, a turbulence is produced
which generates the sound that can be heard through the stethoscope. Not
every murmur is caused by a serious disease or pathology. Many can occur with
the changes in the heart configuration that age brings on, and are not a cause
for alarm. However, the reassurance that your family physician has offered
you is not based upon chance or speculation, but the test results that can
only be evaluated fully when a complete examination and history have been
accomplished. The changes that affect the sounds your beating heart produces
may occur in the lungs and chest wall as well as your heart, and may be
affected by your posture. Some sounds can be more clearly heard when you are
squatting, or standing, as well as deep inspiration and expiration. It is
only when all possibilities have been explored and carefully considered that a
physician may reassure the patient, as was the situation in your case. He
isn't just being nice, he has been careful, concerned and professional as
well. You can trust him.