New heart murmur?

[Minnie824]

So, I took DD6 to the doctor tonite for a bad cough. Ended up having an ear infection. However her doctor noticed a heart murmur. She said it concerned her because it was new, never had that as a baby or anything, and it was slightly loud. They did an EKG and said she'd call me with results in a day or 2 but then I need to follow up with a pediatric cardiologist. She said it could be anything ranging from just showing up due to her being sick, to being a hole in her heart. Has anyone had anything like this, or know someone that has, that can give me any advice. She does so many activities, I'm worried to even have her participate now. Thanks for listening.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My dd has a repaired heart defect. She was born with Tetrology of Fallot, which is very serious. She is 19 now.

Youngest dd is 14 and has a undefined murmur. They cannot locate the source, so not considered significant.

See a pediatriac cardiologist that is associated with a Children's Hospital if you can. Do some homework with regards to the ped. card you want to see. I know your ped will want to choose the cardiologist for you however just make sure you are comfortable with who your PCP is pointing you toward.

Your dd is fine. Don't worry about activity at all.

Your dd will get an echocardiogram, an XRAY, probably some blood work on her cardiac visit.

I do not put much stock in what a reg. doctor hears, believe me. Don't freak out yet. It takes a trained ear to really hear a heart issue, trust me.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

So, I took DD6 to the doctor tonite for a bad cough. Ended up having an ear infection. However her doctor noticed a heart murmur. She said it concerned her because it was new, never had that as a baby or anything, and it was slightly loud. They did an EKG and said she'd call me with results in a day or 2 but then I need to follow up with a pediatric cardiologist. She said it could be anything ranging from just showing up due to her being sick, to being a hole in her heart. Has anyone had anything like this, or know someone that has, that can give me any advice. She does so many activities, I'm worried to even have her participate now. Thanks for listening.

I was also diagnosed with a brand new heart murmur by my internist. I had an echocardiogram and saw a cardiologist and was 100% perfectly fine and normal. It doesn't take a day or two to get EKG results, the doctor can look at it and read it immediately, maybe yours wanted to send it to another md for a consult? Also, a murmur is a blood flow issue and requires an echocardiogram, not EKG to see and diagnose the problem (or to see everything is perfectly fine).

I would see the pediatric cardiologist asap, this way you will know if it is a legitimate concern and give you the best advice on how to proceed. Remember it may turn out to be a complete non-issue, try not to get ahead of yourself and panic when everything may be 100% normal and okay.

Also, some murmurs are present but are nothing at all to be concerned about. My mom, dh, and mil all have murmurs from mitral valve prolapse and all exercise and live a perfectly normal and active life with no issues from it whatsoever.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Oh honey, I can understand exactly how you feel! Last year at my DD7 (she was 6 then) check-up, the pediatrician casually says oh, she has a heart murmur! I held myself together because my DD was sitting right there but inside I flipped out. They scheduled her to see a pediatric cardiologist who then performed an echocardiogram. I was an absolute nervous wreck the whole time, searching the internet for info. It turned out to be absolutely benign and it won't hinder her in any way physically. The cardiologist said that most of the time it isn't anything to worry about. So, try not to freak and just wait for the results.

Oh, forgot to mention that my Dad was diagnosed with a benign heart murmur as well at age 50. So it's not uncommon to find one even later in life.

 

[onelilspark]

I have a VSD that I was born with. I do need to be cautious when I run, but I was fine participating in sports and activities until about HS (after that I just couldn't keep up because my heart rate would elevate faster than my peers.) I did participate in intramurals though. I used to have to pre-medicate (take anti-biotics) before going to the dentist, but now they're not so worried about that. And I'm not supposed to go into a hot tub because it can elevate my heart rate. Other than that, totally normal. Don't worry about it until you talk to the cardiologist.

My Mom has 2 murmurs. One she was born with, one they found later in life.

 

[disfan07]

I was diagnosed with a new heart murmur when I was 14. Since that time, I have had hundreds of EKGs, about 8 echos and and 2 EP studies. I have had all of this done because I have another heart condition called inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia.

For me, my murmur is just one of those many things that is just kind of there. It does get slightly worse when my tachycardia is out of control (I'm talking about when my resting heart rate is above 150) adn it is always noticable but its considered benign and no big deal

 

[christiane]

I know how worried you must be, but keep in mind that most murmurs are benign.

The first step is to make sure the murmur is persistent. Because they are just a sound, they can come & go.

A "hole in the heart" is usually from a birth/congenital defect and isn't something that develops in later childhood. So if a murmur has never been heard before in a 6 year old, it wouldn't be high on the list.

There's even a chance that your daughter's breath sounds from her cold could mimic a murmur.

Definitely see the cardiologist for peace-of-mind, but chances are it won't be anything to worry about.

 

[indimom]

So, I took DD6 to the doctor tonite for a bad cough. Ended up having an ear infection. However her doctor noticed a heart murmur. She said it concerned her because it was new, never had that as a baby or anything, and it was slightly loud. They did an EKG and said she'd call me with results in a day or 2 but then I need to follow up with a pediatric cardiologist. She said it could be anything ranging from just showing up due to her being sick, to being a hole in her heart. Has anyone had anything like this, or know someone that has, that can give me any advice. She does so many activities, I'm worried to even have her participate now. Thanks for listening.

Both of my children have heart murmurs and my daughter has an "irregular heartbeat." As others have said, most murmurs are benign. We had both kids checked out by a cardiologist (DD as an infant and both kids when they started sports).
Murmurs are very common in my family. My father has one (worked construction for over 50 years and remains very active nearing his 70s). My sister has a murmur and irregular heartbeat. Played basketball in high school.
My kids have played soccer and football with no issues.

This may or may not be a "new" murmur. We've been told repeatedly by their pediatricians and the cardiologists that murmurs can be difficult to hear at times, depending on whether they are lying down or sitting up, etc. They have also commented that illness will make them louder/easier to hear.
Definitely do the more in-depth follow up for your own peace of mind and to confirm what the situation trully is. Hope you get answers soon and they are all good. I know how stressful it is when doctors come up with a "new" diagnosis or concern regarding our children.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have a VSD that I was born with. I do need to be cautious when I run, but I was fine participating in sports and activities until about HS (after that I just couldn't keep up because my heart rate would elevate faster than my peers.) I did participate in intramurals though. I used to have to pre-medicate (take anti-biotics) before going to the dentist, but now they're not so worried about that. And I'm not supposed to go into a hot tub because it can elevate my heart rate. Other than that, totally normal. Don't worry about it until you talk to the cardiologist.

My Mom has 2 murmurs. One she was born with, one they found later in life.

Did you have surgery to correct this? I am stunned that your cardio would suggest that you not take antibiotics prior to seeing the dentist.

I am going to strongly suggest to you that you tell your doctors that you prefer the premeds and take them, esp. if you had surgery.

Now granted my dd has more issues with her heart however the "not taking premeds" is something controversial and I would err on the side of caution.

 

[Minnie824]

Thank you for all your replies. It does help knowing most times it will be benign...still worry, but it helps. Her doctor did want to follow up with a specialist on the EKG which is why she said she'd get back to me. And we definitely will follow up with the cardiologist. Just to give a little more info, her dr last night said they rate them on a scale of 1-6, 6 being the loudest and hers was a 2-3. She said it was still heard when she laid down too.

Also I have a dumb question. Do you think if everything is just a minor issue and its benign, my DD would have any issues on roller coasters? Rock and roller coaster and expedition everest are her favorite rides and I'd hate to tell her she can't ride them anymore. Obviously I know this is not all that important and her health is a priority but I'm just curious. And with sports....good to hear that hopefully she can continue on with sports as well. Again, I know this is dependant on what is found, but I'm being optimistic that everything will turn out fine.

Also have a question about the dentist. My mom said her friend has a condition as well where she has to take a prescription prior to the dentist. I'm just curious as to why? I guess I don't get the connection to the dentist and why its an issue?

Thanks again for all the replies. I'll update once I hear back from her doctor.

 

[CJBaby]

I was just diagnosed with a murmur at 33. I freaked out because I have serious heart disease on both sides of my family and both parents suffered from it. I went to a cardiologist just to get a clean bill of health because I thought I had rapid and irregular heartbeat and that's when he found the murmur. After EKG, heart monitor, ultrasound and stress test (all easy tests btw and only because I thought I was having all these other symptoms,) I was found to have an "innocent" murmur. I would just go right to a cardiologist, because they have a lot more vascular knowledge then a ped (usually goes for all specialities.)

But, as a mom . I freak out often thinking one of my children has a serious illness whenever they exhibit a symptom, so I know how scary this is. I alway try to remember the motto: "don't worry until it's time to worry."

 

[onelilspark]

Did you have surgery to correct this? I am stunned that your cardio would suggest that you not take antibiotics prior to seeing the dentist.

I am going to strongly suggest to you that you tell your doctors that you prefer the premeds and take them, esp. if you had surgery.

Now granted my dd has more issues with her heart however the "not taking premeds" is something controversial and I would err on the side of caution.

No surgery. My dentist won't write the script anymore, my Mom's doesn't either. It makes me a little nervous, but I just trusted the dentist I hate going anyway.

Thank you for all your replies. It does help knowing most times it will be benign...still worry, but it helps. Her doctor did want to follow up with a specialist on the EKG which is why she said she'd get back to me. And we definitely will follow up with the cardiologist. Just to give a little more info, her dr last night said they rate them on a scale of 1-6, 6 being the loudest and hers was a 2-3. She said it was still heard when she laid down too.

Also I have a dumb question. Do you think if everything is just a minor issue and its benign, my DD would have any issues on roller coasters? Rock and roller coaster and expedition everest are her favorite rides and I'd hate to tell her she can't ride them anymore. Obviously I know this is not all that important and her health is a priority but I'm just curious. And with sports....good to hear that hopefully she can continue on with sports as well. Again, I know this is dependant on what is found, but I'm being optimistic that everything will turn out fine.

Also have a question about the dentist. My mom said her friend has a condition as well where she has to take a prescription prior to the dentist. I'm just curious as to why? I guess I don't get the connection to the dentist and why its an issue?

Thanks again for all the replies. I'll update once I hear back from her doctor.

My Mom & I both love Rock N Roller

The easiest place to get an infection is in your mouth, and if it gets into your blood, it can be dangerous. The combination of a murmur and infection in your blood can allow it to spread to your heart-which is bad. The prescription is for antibiotics. As mentioned earlier, some dentists demand it, some don't. I used to take an antibiotic, now I don't. (Note: that was a very basic explanation, sorry I don't know all the details, but that's the basic jist of it!)

 

[The Mystery Machine]

No surgery. My dentist won't write the script anymore, my Mom's doesn't either. It makes me a little nervous, but I just trusted the dentist I hate going anyway.

Do not trust the dentist with your cardiac life.

Do you have a cardiologist? When is the last time you had a checkup?

You can get the script from your primary doctor. Dentists these days do not write the script for a medical condition. It has become more of their "policy" to have a person's primary doctor write it for liability reasons.

 

[onelilspark]

Do not trust the dentist with your cardiac life.

Do you have a cardiologist? When is the last time you had a checkup?

You can get the script from your primary doctor. Dentists these days do not write the script for a medical condition. It has become more of their "policy" to have a person's primary doctor write it for liability reasons.

Good to know, thought I had to get it from the dentist. I haven't been to a cardiologist in 5 years, I was told I don't need to go as often because it hasn't changed in years, almost closed. Something my primary doctor keeps in her notes, but she can barely hear it. I'll be going in during this upcoming year to get an echo and see where it is now, but no one seems concerned about it.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Good to know, thought I had to get it from the dentist. I haven't been to a cardiologist in 5 years, I was told I don't need to go as often because it hasn't changed in years, almost closed. Something my primary doctor keeps in her notes, but she can barely hear it. I'll be going in during this upcoming year to get an echo and see where it is now, but no one seems concerned about it.

Number 1, a primary doctor is not a cardiologist.
Let me tell you it takes a VERY experienced cardiologist to actually "HEAR" your heart. I have not met a reg. doctor yet who can really "hear".

My 19yodd's "murmur" is a freight train to a cardiologist. She has an atrial hole and leakage of blue blood. Let me tell you it is funny to watch a doctor either freak about it or then we mention she has a repaired defect and they say, really, I don't hear anything.

Now your condition could be minor, which is great to hear, however whether or not you need premeds needs to come directly from your cardiologist and not your dentist or your primary doctor.

You should be the one concerned about your own health. Not taking premeds is one of those things that is argued about right now among doctors. Is it worth the risk? That is up to you.

If you had surgery, then hands down take the premeds. Since you did not have surgery, I could see the grey area here.

 

[bonoriffic]

Also I have a dumb question. Do you think if everything is just a minor issue and its benign, my DD would have any issues on roller coasters? Rock and roller coaster and expedition everest are her favorite rides and I'd hate to tell her she can't ride them anymore.

A murmur is just a noise. A benign or innocent murmur means there is nothing wrong with your heart and you shouldn't change anything you do. Kids grow and the sound of blood rushing through the heart isn't identical in everyone. When the sound differs from the average it is called a murmur. Of course it takes a cardiologist to determine if that noise is just an unusual noise or a noise because of a real problem.

My son had a mumur at birth which was checked out and fine. At 3 he went in for an ear infection and the ear was fine but the murmur was now much louder and was checked out by a cardiologist again.

Murmurs come and go, especially in children.

 

[indimom]

Thank you for all your replies. It does help knowing most times it will be benign...still worry, but it helps. Her doctor did want to follow up with a specialist on the EKG which is why she said she'd get back to me. And we definitely will follow up with the cardiologist. Just to give a little more info, her dr last night said they rate them on a scale of 1-6, 6 being the loudest and hers was a 2-3. She said it was still heard when she laid down too.

Also I have a dumb question. Do you think if everything is just a minor issue and its benign, my DD would have any issues on roller coasters? Rock and roller coaster and expedition everest are her favorite rides and I'd hate to tell her she can't ride them anymore. Obviously I know this is not all that important and her health is a priority but I'm just curious. And with sports....good to hear that hopefully she can continue on with sports as well. Again, I know this is dependant on what is found, but I'm being optimistic that everything will turn out fine.
My kids are coaster warriors and have ridden everything Disney, Universal, Holiday World (Indiana) and Kings Island (Ohio) have to offer. I don't think you'll have an issue with that. I will admit, I was nervous about Mission Space Orange (due to the history of the ride) so I checked with their doctor before we rode. They got the go-ahead and all was fine.
Also have a question about the dentist. My mom said her friend has a condition as well where she has to take a prescription prior to the dentist. I'm just curious as to why? I guess I don't get the connection to the dentist and why its an issue?
Looks like others have answered this question. My kids have never needed this, but my sis did when she had a root canal.
Thanks again for all the replies. I'll update once I hear back from her doctor.

Just wanted to follow up what another poster said about the cardiologist's tests. They are very simple, not scary or painful in the least. (Well, my daughter didn't like the x-ray when she was a baby, but they had to hold her in place with sandbags and we had to leave the room. ) But, for a child your daughter's age they will be a piece of cake. My kids liked watching and the doctors/nurses explained everything in detail. They thought it was cool.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

have a question about the dentist. My mom said her friend has a condition as well where she has to take a prescription prior to the dentist. I'm just curious as to why? I guess I don't get the connection to the dentist and why its an issue?

The issue is that during dental or other procedures, or even from rotten teeth or an infected wound, etc, bacteria can enter into the bloodstream. When that bloodflow goes through a heart valve that's not working correctly or another abnormal heart structure (which are some of the biggest concerns with murmurs), those bacteria can lodge into the valve or structure itself, grow, and subsequently cause a bacterial endocarditis, which can be very serious, requiring extensive antibiotic therapy and/or valve replacement.

Patients undergoing valve replacement surgeries need to have dental "clearance" by a dentist, ie that they're free of dental disease, before they undergo the procedure so the new valve doesn't become infected.

This is a good link for Murmer info, with examples of sounds: http://childrensheartinstitute.org/educate/murmur/murmur.htm

 

[Pea-n-Me]

There are new guidelines as to who needs prophylactic antibiotics before procedures. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Condi...Infective-Endocarditis_UCM_307108_Article.jsp

In the past, patients with nearly every type of congenital heart defect needed to receive antibiotics one hour before dental procedures or operations on the mouth, throat, gastrointestinal genital, or urinary tract. However, the American Heart Association recently simplified its recommendation. Today, antibiotics are only recommended for patients with the highest risk of IE, those who have:

1.An artificial heart valve or who have had a heart valve repaired with artificial material.
2.A history of endocarditis.
3.A heart transplant with abnormal heart valve function
4.Certain congenital heart defects including:
Cyanotic congenital heart disease (birth defects with oxygen levels lower than normal), that has not been fully repaired, including children who have had a surgical shunts and conduits.
A congenital heart defect that's been completely repaired with artificial material or a device for the first six months after the repair procedure.
Repaired congenital heart disease with residual defects, such as persisting leaks or abnormal flow at or adjacent to a prosthetic patch or prosthetic device.

If you still require antibiotic prophylaxis for dental treatment or oral surgery, your pediatric cardiologist may give you an American Heart Association wallet card. Show this card to your dentist, pediatrician, family doctor or other physician. It advises them to give you the proper antibiotic and dose.

In onelilspark's case it's a little unclear about the VSD and +/- repair ? but she'd want to make sure her docs (primary care, dentist, surgeon, whomever is about to do a procedure on her) remembers and/or is made aware about the VSD each and every time she undergoes something as well as keep her teeth in good dental repair. But I agree she needs to be proactive about it herself since it seems to be fading into the past and people may soon "forget" it exists. You don't want to find out some day you have an endocarditis that was preventable. So something you should look into more, oneilspark, ok?