Valvular heart disease

Heart murmurs are abnormal heart sounds that can be associated with diseases or be benign, and they have several types. [58] There are normally two audible heart sounds, and the abnormal sounds can be additional or may be murmurs associated with the blood flow between these sounds. Murmurs are categorized by size, from 1 (quietest) to 6 (loudest), and evaluated in relation to heart sounds, phases of the cardiac cycle, additional features such as travel to other locations, changes depending on the person’s position, and frequency of the sound as determined by the side of the stethoscope through which it is heard In addition to the place where it is heard the loudest.[58] These sounds can be recorded on an echocardiogram,[9] and echocardiography is usually ordered to diagnose murmurs.[59] Murmurs can arise due to valvular heart disease due to narrowing or regurgitation of any of the major heart valves such as aortic valve stenosis, mitral valve regurgitation or mitral valve prolapse. Murmurs can also be caused by a number of other diseases, such as atrial and ventricular septal defects.[58] Two other common causes of heart murmurs that are also infectious are infectious endocarditis and rheumatic fever, especially in developing countries. Infectious endocarditis involves colonization of the heart valve,[60] and rheumatic fever involves a primary infection with group A streptococcus followed by a reaction against heart tissue that resembles streptococcal antigen.[61]