Heart Murmurs

[Smit]

Hi Guys and Gals,
Don't know if you remember i was ill back in October and diabetes went crazy. While i was in the hospital the doctors said i had a heart murmur, and started asking lots of questions about being tired and short of breath. I am always tired but have always put that down to the diabetes and i get out of puff very easily, put that down to being unfit. I have to go to hospital on Friday for a echocardiogram, i believe it's like an ultra sound of your heart. Has anyone got a heart murmur, or had one of theses tests? I it related to my diabetes?

x x

 

[AlisonM]

About 15 years ago I had one, I had been pregnant and very ill, so much so that I miscarried. The strain was so great that I developed a heart murmur, but it went away after a few months as I regained my strength.

They're surprisingly common and even found in otherwise healthy people. They can be long term or transient and there can be any number of causes. The echocardiogram will tell them exactly where it is and how strong. That in turn should give them some idea of the cause.

Good luck and keep us posted on the results.

 

[Lizzzie]

Never had one, but seen a few on dogs.

THe noise of your heart (you know, 'lup-dub, 'lup-dub') is made by two sets of heart-valves closing as blood flows through the various chambers, one (dub) after another (lup). The valves prevent back-flow, so the blood goes in one direction through the heart.

A heart mumur is just an extra noise interrupting that. Say - one valve isn't closing 100% clearly, or a bit of blood has snook back through a valve (backflow)... so it makes a different noise, or a blurred noise, when the valve closes.

The echocardiogram gets up an ultrasound picture of the blood flowing through the heart, and which direction, and how thick the hert muscle is...

Anyway, if they can find what's causing it, they might find the best way to treat it and try to relieve your symptoms a bit.

Have no idea whether its related to your diabetes.... best ask them.

Good luck, all the best

 

[Northerner]

I have a heart murmur - was told about it when I broke my femur in the Stockholm Marathon 4 years before T1 diagnosis. They investigated further when I was diagnosed, but really it was only of interest to the student heart doctor. It wasn't considered a health problem at all - I have run countless half-marathons and a dozen full marathons so it has never been a thing to worry about.

 

[Caroline]

Good luck at the hospital. As you are being looked after, things will soon be sorted out. As others have said, lots of people get hear murmers which go after a while. You will probably be given loads of advice from thje hospital too.