A heart murmur describes the sound made by a pumping heart when the muscle contains a small opening. An innocent heart murmur causes no symptoms and requires no treatment. An abnormal murmur is symptomatic of a congenital heart defect or disease...
Between 650,000 to 1.3 million Americans suffer from one of the 15 recognized heart defects, including heart murmurs, according to the American Heart Association. A heart murmur is detected as an abnormal sound on a stethoscope and is caused by a...
If you have a family history of heart disease or current cardiovascular problems, a heart murmur diagnosis may require more than a listen with a stethoscope. Depending on the type of sounds your heart makes, your age and other factors, your doctor...
Potassium, a mineral and electrolyte essential for certain body processes, is found throughout the body, particularly within the cells. Unbalanced levels of potassium impact skeletal function and transmission of nerve impulses. Low levels of...
A heart murmur is usually nothing more than a noise. An extra "whooshing" noise while your heart is beating is a clear sign of a heart murmur. Usually this is caused by extra turbulence of blood in or around the heart valves. Most heart murmurs...
Although a heart murmur may be indicative of a serious condition that could limit your ability to exercise, many people continue to practice activities such as hot yoga normally while living with a murmur. Many heart murmurs are known as innocent...
Exercising with a heart rate sensor allows you to check how much effort you bring based on your heart rate. The higher your heart rate, the harder your lungs work, which is proportionately tied to your calorie expenditure. If you have a heart...
Natural home remedies have been in use for centuries, and modern science has proven some of them to be effective. Fresh ginger root or ginger root supplements are commonly prescribed for nausea caused by seasickness, illness, pregnancy or the...
A heart murmur is a common medical condition. It is often found incidentally during a routine physical exam. A murmur is the sound of blood flowing across heart valves. It can be due to valves that are narrowed or leaky or can be due to increased...
One of magnesium’s most important functions in your body is to help regulate your heart rate. Without enough magnesium, your heart may suffer from spasms and abnormal heart rhythms, including heart murmurs. A magnesium deficiency should be...
If you've been diagnosed with a heart murmur, your doctor has likely advised you on whether your murmur is benign, or whether it's the sign of an underlying condition, and she has likely advised you on what types of activities are safe to engage...
Blood flows through the four chambers of the heart--the two upper chambers known as the atria and the two lower chambers known as the ventricles--through heart valves. These valves open and close as the ventricles contract and relax, allowing...
An enlarged heart, medically known as cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the muscles in the heart gradually weaken. The Mayo Clinic says that cardiomyopathy symptoms include leg swelling, trouble breathing with exertion, fatigue and...
Congenital heart disease is a group of heart problems caused by a malformation of the heart that is present at birth. These are structural defects that affect the interior walls of the heart, the valves of the heart or the blood vessels that carry...
Cardiomegaly, also known as an enlarged heart, is a symptom of some underlying disease or condition such as stress or coronary artery disease. An enlarged heart can return to a normal size if the underlying condition is treated soon enough, but...
Congenital heart disease refers to any structural abnormalities of the heart that are due to inherited defects, including valve defects, patent foramen ovale (PFO) and Tetralogy of Fallot. Some congenital heart diseases have little or no...
During pregnancy, the mother's blood volume increases up to 40 to 50 percent, the heart rate increases by 10 to 15 beats per minute and the cardiac output or blood pumped by the heart rises 30 to 50 percent. These changes increase the risk of...
More than 64 million people in the U.S. have a health condition involving their heart, states KidsHealth, and a significant portion of those are 19 or younger. For instance, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates roughly 5 percent of...
Irregular heartbeats, particularly those during more intense physical activity, aren't often a cause for alarm. Most of the time, it's linked to heart palpitations, which are simply sensations that the heart is beating abnormally. Your heart is...
The heart is an important cardiac muscle that beats within the center of the chest. It contains such major blood vessels as the coronary arteries and aorta. The heart also consists of an electrical pathway that determines the heart's exact rhythm....
Children with past heart problems and those with healthy hearts all have an interest in good lifelong care for their cardiovascular systems. Adults who model heart healthy behavior help kids form the right habits. That includes eating right. The...
According to the American Heart Association, an enlarged heart is characterized by an increase in the size of the heart that may be caused by an increase in the thickness of the heart muscle. This condition, also called cardiomegaly, is typically...
A hole in the heart is a condition that usually occurs at birth and may be due to heredity; Down's syndrome; or the pregnant mother's smoking, drug use or illness. A hole in the heart will affect the way the blood flows through the heart and to...
The heart muscle consists of four chambers. There are two upper chambers or atria and two bottom chambers called ventricles. There are also four heart valves, and their job is to keep blood flowing in the right direction. As the heart pumps...
Changes in skin color, especially blue lips, in a child can indicate it's time to get out of a swimming pool, but these changes can also indicate more serious health conditions. If you know what to look for, you can determine whether your son's...
Infants with heart problems can have a wide variety of symptoms. Newborns with congenital heart defects have problems delivering oxygen-rich blood to the body. This happens because the heart is not strong enough to pump blood adequately, or if the...
Rheumatic heart disease encompasses a variety of heart abnormalities, the most of common of which is a damaged heart valve. Rheumatic heart disease is caused by a bacterial infection that travels to the heart. If the infection is not treated in...
Congenital heart disease generally refers to a birth defect in the structure of the heart or one of the great blood vessels leading to or away from the heart. Most of these defects affect the way blood flows through the heart, but other defects...
Some children are born with a small hole in their hearts, known as atrial septal defects, or ASDs, according to Mayo Clinic. The hole occurs in the muscle wall between the two upper chambers of the heart. If a child has a small ASD, it may close...
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the endocardium, the inner layer of the heart, including the heart valves. Learn more about endocarditic in this health video.
