I wanted to post this so others can be warned. I have developed a heart murmur.

[Demsrule86]

I don't know how serious it is and won't know until an echocardiogram is performed. I have no risk factors like high blood pressure or high cholesterol...take no daily medication of any kind. My doctor feels it is the result of my having COVID last year. She said she has seen heart anomalies in those who recovered from COVID. I advise anyone reading this who had COVID to have a checkup. My doctor was able to hear the murmur with a stethoscope. There are no symptoms except maybe a bit of fatigue which many of us would ignore. If there was severe damage this could lead to a heart attack.

[DFW]

1. Heart trouble nearly killed me in 2004, and I had a (very mild) heart attack in 2011

So, I get twice-a-year checkups already. I ignore NOTHING--not deliberately, anyway.

[Demsrule86]

5. You are very wise to take nothing for granted. I took my good health for granted I think. I

was quite shocked to find out about this.

[efhmc]

2. Thanks for sharing this very important information. DU scores high in this area.

[Demsrule86]

7. Right, there are many of us who had COVID and recovered.

[viva la]

3. It must be stressful having to wait...

But I hope you'll get "No big deal" news.

[Demsrule86]

8. My doctor thinks I will get good news or so she says! I think I will too. It is hard for

me to believe I wouldn't have had some symptoms if it was truly advanced.

[Hortensis]

36. Good to hear. It's wonderful that you found out

about it before any symptoms developed so it can be evaluated and watched or treated.

[Demsrule86]

40. True that...I believe all will be well but I am kind of sulky. I have ever had anything wrong with

me before...I guess I felt invincible...

[Hortensis]

50. Oh, a first issue. I remember the feeling.

Well, chances are it'll be harmless or fixable and then you'll be back to zero. Harmless murmers don't count.

My husband's always been invincible, 81 now and never taken any meds.

[Demsrule86]

53. I take no meds either. Yep, this is a first issue...I pride myself on my strong constitution...

Ah well, pride goeth before a fall...and I think it will be nothing or as you said fixable. If it is the Covid, it could heal spontaneously...some cases have. We shall see. Thanks, dear Hortensis for your posts. I so appreciate it.

[LeftInTX]

39. They can get a "vibe" from how the murmur sounds

[Demsrule86]

41. That is true...and the doctor didn't seem that worried.

[Elessar Zappa]

4. Thanks for the information!

[Demsrule86]

9. You are welcome...we all need to be vigilent.

[lapfog_1]

6. I've had a heart murmur all my life

born with a hole in my heart... mitral valve prolapse.

In addition to WPW.

It hasn't killed me yet.

[Demsrule86]

10. My son was born with a ventral septum defect, it healed spontaneously.

Thank you for this post. Do you take any medications to manage this? Do you have symptoms? I am curious.

[lapfog_1]

13. I used to... beta blockers

but when the WPW got worse I had ablation surgery... and, other than the occasional skipped heart beat, I've had no problems ever since. I did wait for the microwave ablation and I was one of the first patients to use this surgery (25 years ago).

[Demsrule86]

42. Wow...I looked it up...very interesting. My son would have had the small hole in his heart fix with

a 'patch' they went in under the arm I believe. But he healed.

[wnylib]

82. My ex had a heart murmur most of his life

as a result of rheumatic fever when he was in first grade. Did not hinder his life in any way and he never needed meds.

[lindalou65]

90. I, too, have had a heart murmur for most of my life

and I am in my 70's and so far, I am doing fine. The doctors just monitor it and see no immediate cause for worry. Lapfog_1, I hope your recently developed murmur is a low risk one. Take care.

[SYFROYH]

11. Peace and Love to you.

Although we sometimes disagree, I think you’re one of the good ones at Du

[Demsrule86]

12. Thank you! I enjoy your posts...you are one of those who I read when I see your name...we

don't have to always agree. And I have been known to change my mind if convinced by someone's compelling argument!

[malaise]

14. Thanks for the tips and take care of yourself

[Demsrule86]

15. You too malaise...it is a bummer as I have never had anything wrong with me...pregnancy that was it!

Of course I did have Covid last year.

[malaise]

19. I'm like you - have had perfect health

but the aging body is not what it was and I'm coming to terms with reality.

[Demsrule86]

43. Reality bites!

[LaMouffette]

16. Thank you for the information, Demsrule, and I hope your echocardiogram clears you of serious damage

It's so scary to think of the long-term effects Covid is going to have on those of us who get it, which may be everyone before this wretched virus is through with us. I especially fear the long-term effects on kids, which they haven't really been talking about. Too soon to tell, I guess.

[liberal_mama]

23. I worry about the long term effects, which is why I am so careful about avoiding Covid

I know someone whose wife had a mild case of Covid and about 6 months after she recovered, she died of a blood clot. I fear Covid could have a nasty second feature like other viruses.

[LaMouffette]

24. Oh, no! And to think there are still millions of people who think it's no big deal if you get Covid.

They're walking around maskless, eating indoors at restaurants, going to packed concerts and bars, completely oblivious to the danger. Ignorance is bliss, I guess . . . until your ignorance puts you in the hospital or in the ground.

[Demsrule86]

44. The doctor said she has seen quite a bit of heart issues in those who had Covid...

Of course, the anti-vaxers will say it is the vaccine. But Covid has lead to heart issues while folks had it. My brother had clots in his lungs and his heart was affected.

[Demsrule86]

54. That is what I am hoping for...and I think it is a likely occurance as I have had no symptoms of any

sort. Today when hubs came home, I was hauling dirt to put by the side of the house the dogs like to dig. If I don't then the water will get in the basement...we put some pipes down and cement but the dogs dig right by the house...he had a fit when he saw what I was doing. Yeah, the bags were a tad heavy (read really heavy) but the Doctor told me there were no limitations on what I could do...hubs said ( can you believe this), 'of course she did, she thought she was dealing with a woman with some common sense". He then hired the lawn guy to finish even though I told him he voted for Trump. Oh well, it should be a quick job. But I digress, thanks for your kind comments.

[zipplewrath]

83. There's hope

When student athletes first started getting covid, they were detecting what they thought was "permanent" heart damage. 2 years down the road and now they think it may not be so permanent.

Of course you're probably not a 20 year old NCAA athlete either, but....

There is hope that you could repair any damage given time and good health.

[Demsrule86]

86. I am hopeful given that I am in excellent health except for the murmur that maybe it will not be

permanent.

[Solly Mack]

17. K&R

Wishing you the best and I appreciate you letting people know.

[Demsrule86]

46. Thank you! I appreciate your kind words.

[Demsrule86]

55. Thank you...Here is hoping no one else has this as I believe it is pretty rare.

[NNadir]

18. I have one too. It's a slight mitral prolapse.

Basically, it sometimes presents as shortness of breath, but otherwise requires very little else other than being aware of it. It was observed years ago, and as best I can tell, I'm still alive.

[Demsrule86]

47. I think that will be the same with me...the doctor said she thought it was mild. I had no idea at

all and no symptoms. I have not been short of breath which is a good thing, but if that is all I have to deal with, I will count myself fortunate.

[Grasswire2]

75. swollen ankles at all, indicating water retention?

That would be another sign.

[Shrike47]

20. I've had one forever. I have no idea what's wrong in there.

Three years ago, after decades of doctors noting a heart murmur, I developed atrial fibrillation. Medication keeps my A-fib under control. Really no problems other than occasional shortness of breath but that may be due to excess weight.

[Demsrule86]

48. I am going to look up atrial fibrillation...I know I must have learned about it in College but I am

drawing a blank...sound like you manage pretty well which makes me feel better.

[Celerity]

21. So sorry to hear this, I hope all works out for you and you remain fully healthy

[Demsrule86]

49. Me too Celerity! Thanks for you kind thoughts....

[bucolic_frolic]

22. Thanks for posting

and hope all goes well for you. I have my ups and downs. I'm slightly sensitive to salt, caffeine, sugar, as well as the ups and downs of magnesium and potassium. I find a balanced diet of natural foods helps me the most. I ditched table salt for pink salt or mined flake salt, i limit coffee and chocolate but not too many limits and eat bananas for potassium and some foods that contain magnesium - potatoes, brown rice, peanuts to name a few. And I must remind myself to drink enough water. When all that's ok, I'm ok.

[Demsrule86]

51. That is basically what I try to do food wise...although I do love my coffee...

I grind my own beans and usually make lattes or cappuccinos...brought an all-in-one espresso maker as my kids and husband love coffee too and I felt like a barista as they don't really know how to pull shots properly...I still keep a regular one where you grind the coffee for shiny beans which will kill the fancier pots.

[AllaN01Bear]

25. very wise .

i have tacycardia/ afib/ aflutter and slo heart rate . drs attribute this to a short in the hearts electrical system and when takes off , the heart is cavitating. not fun. glad you are taking early steps to identify and treat this .

[Demsrule86]

56. It doesn't sound like fun...I assume there are meds that keep this condition in check?

And you never even mentioned it...honestly, I have been feeling sorry for myself and kind of whiny.

[AllaN01Bear]

81. yes. diltazem amidrone and another drug for congestive heart failure

[MLAA]

26. Fingers crossed for you!

[Demsrule86]

57. Thank you...fingers, toes, eyes...ETC.

[KentuckyWoman]

27. Covid primarily affects the cardiovascular system.

I wish you the best and thankfully your doctor is taking this seriously.

[Demsrule86]

58. You know I hadn't realized that until you posted it...yeah it really is...

[PlanetBev]

28. I've got idiopathic cardiomyopathy

Meaning they don’t know what caused it and it was discovered quite by accident. Good thing, because I was in danger of sudden cardiac death. Never smoked, drank and only occasionally smoked weed. So, they installed a defibrillator in my chest in 2018 and I’m on a low dose of medication with no side effects. I feel great.

It’s scary when your health goes sideways, but thank goodness for modern medicine. There are so many ways to treat these conditions now.

Courage, Demsrule!

[Demsrule86]

59. Thank you... glad you are feeling good. And it will require courage. I hate hate illness of any sort

and have been very fortunate thus far not to have to deal with it.

[hamsterjill]

29. Thanks for sharing.

Knowledge is power. Wishing you all the best.

[Demsrule86]

60. Thank you HamsterJill and you are right about knowledge being power. I almost blew the doctor

visit off...it was late and I was tired...didn't want to go but I am glad I went now.

[ShazzieB]

30. I was diagnosed with a heart murmur 3.5 years ago.

Echocardiogram showed that I needed a new aortic valve. Had the surgery in 12/2018, and I'm fit as a fiddle today. I hope your problem is equally fixable!

[Demsrule86]

61. Actually mine is in the Aorta also. It is nice to know that it is fixable...thanks!

I am glad you are enjoying good health.

[Ghost Dog]

31. Cardiovascular symptoms can also be mRNA vaccine side-effects,

albeit rarely, I think it should be mentioned here.

[beaglelover]

37. Yep!

[Demsrule86]

62. My doctor said she had not seen much of that. I did take the booster recently. It is certainly

possible. But I missed my appointment for a physical last year after having Covid because of the pandemic...so I could have had it all along. I don't think we will ever know for sure.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

32. I had a heart murmur for years as a child...

... and much of my adulthood after getting extremely sick with the flu. It wasn't heard until after that sickness.

It seemed to keep diminishing as more time passed until it wasn't detectable anymore.

I hope that you'll be okay! It didn't seem to cause me any problems when I was younger, at least.

[Demsrule86]

64. That is good to know...that is what the doctor said...she said it was probably mild, probably from

Covid which can certainly cause it as you influenza likely did yours. And it very well might disappear. I hope so...glad yours did. Thanks for posting this...

[Buckeye_Democrat]

78. You're welcome! Glad to hear that your doctor...

... said your murmur seemed mild too!

I had an echocardiogram after it wasn't heard anymore, and there was no detection of any valve issues that way either. (I only had the echocardiogram because my primary physician was concerned about a rare genetic condition of mine which can SOMETIMES affect the heart, but that wasn't noticed either.)

[question everything]

34. Hope all will be OK. Will be thinking of you

[Demsrule86]

65. Thank you so much...I am feeling pretty optimistic...but whiny!

[Skittles]

35. I have had a heart mumor for years, diagnosed as mitral valve prolapse

the only time I notice it is when my heart feels like it is skipping a beat (which I am told is actually an extra beat) - it makes me cough

[Demsrule86]

66. The doctor asked me if I was coughing...who knows as it is allergy season in Ohio...

So you don't need meds with this? I am glad you are not affected greatly...hope that will be me too.

[Skittles]

69. I don't take anything for it

it's a common malady and not really treated if it's not causing angst

[Nixie]

38. Thanks for sharing this, Demsrule. So sorry you have to

go through this. Please keep us posted. You’re a favorite!

[Demsrule86]

67. Thank you Nixie...you are so sweet...you are a favorite also. I hope you know this!

[greatauntoftriplets]

52. I'm so sorry to hear this.

I had COVID over the new year, but fortunately my heart checked out okay when I had to have minor surgery in July. Take care of yourself.

[Demsrule86]

70. Minor surgery you say...it seemed pretty hard to me. You are very brave Greataunt...I unforutunately

am quite cowardly in terms of illness. Thanks for your well wishes and how are you feeling?

[greatauntoftriplets]

76. You're very welcome.

I feel okay physically. I'm still reeling (as is the entire family) from my nephew's death four weeks ago today. It still seems so unreal.

[brer cat]

63. I hope your echocardiogram turns out to be good news.

Take care of yourself.

[Demsrule86]

71. I do too...I am a big baby with any sort of illness...

[MustLoveBeagles]

68. Thank you for posting this

I hope everything turns out okay.

[Demsrule86]

72. Thank you...I like your Turkey graphic...very festive...

I wanted to warn folks not to miss their checkups this year. I damned ear blew mine off...glad I didn't.

[BobTheSubgenius]

73. Allow me to offer my little bit of wisdom about heart murmurs.

One very serious thing that can develop is infectious endocarditis. In my case, it was Staph A bacteria, but it can also be viral, or fungal. I don't know if you would have to set this up through a doctor, but my cardiologist told me that if I ever had those flu-like symptoms again, to go to a hospital for a blood test.

He said the tests through a walk-in clinic have both too many false positives and too many false negatives. By the time your immune system catches on to the fact that you have an infection, the infection is too far advanced for all the white blood cells your body can muster to defeat it. IV antibiotics will probably be needed.

I knew NONE of this until I got sick, and neither time nor oral antibiotics did anything but slightly delay its march towards my demise. I now have a piece of the muscle excised and stitched back together, and two artificial valves.

The word "murmur" sounds so innocuous that it almost sounds cute. It's not.

[Ms. Toad]

74. I've had an audible murmur since I was 2 years old.

My mother and my brother developed murmurs much later in life, and the assessment of our doctors is that they probably had their all of their lives but mine was probably more prominent - AND - the awareness of those listening to hearts likely increased in recent years.

Murmurs are not necessarily serious and, even if they have never been heard before, are not necessarily newly developed.

I'm not discouraging getting it checked out - my rural childhood doctor, at my parents' urging, developed the equivalent of a stress test before I was allowed to go out for high school sports. Mine disapears with strenuos activity. It was also thoroughly evaluated in my 20s using more sophisticated testing. By now, after 6 decades of doctors asking if I knew I had a murmer, the awareness of/sensitivity to identifying murmurs has declined (or my murmur has gotten less prominent) - and hardly anyone comments on it now.

Just don't freak out about it until after testing. Hearing murmurs is as much art as it is science. It may well be nothing.

[Hortensis]

79. :) "after 6 decades of doctors asking if I knew I had a murmur"

Of course. It's nice thinking of your careful parents and doctor, but my goodness all that's changed in medicine since. Thank goodness at least that Covid waited.

[Ms. Toad]

84. I've been in on all of the iterations of how do you manage a heart murmur.

Including, for one brief period, being required to pre-medicate for dental work. (My murmur isn't that kind of murmur - it is classed as a functional murmur, which requires no treatment, causes no symptoms, and carries no risk).

[Hortensis]

85. But, have you tried ivermectin anyway?

(And why do I think some have?)

[Demsrule86]

87. God no...I hate diarrhea

[Hortensis]

88. Lol. Sleep well.

[Grasswire2]

77. Let us know when you get the report of your echo.

It will be interesting to see if it might be Covid related.

I've had a mitral murmur most of my adult life (described as a "click&quot and yet my numbers are great -- Ejection Fraction is very great. I have gained some calcification of the mitral valve in recent years, and take Vitamin K and squid Omega 3 oil for that.

My father had one of the first open heart surgery replacements of the mitral valve in PNW years ago, and then passed away a few years later when that prosthesis failed. So I'm sensitive to the idea of murmurs.

No limits on activity, zero suggestion of congestive heart failure, no symptoms. I take, at the advice of board-certified integrative cardiologist, CoQ10, Acetyl L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, broad-spectrum magnesium (called the Awesome Foursome for heart health) as well as anti-inflammatory substances pomegranate juice, green tea, walnuts and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (4 tablespoons) every day.

[BeckyDem]

80. Scary how damaging Covid has been to so many who have survived it.

Best of health to you as you go forward!

[calimary]

89. Thank you for this, Demsrule86.

Please keep us posted. We indeed do not yet know the whole story on what COVID can do to its victims.

[JCMach1]

92. Heart damage, lung damage, diabetes, and hidradenitis

Covid nearly killed me and left me with all that baggage...

[Violet_Crumble]

93. I've had a heart murmur forever, but I've never had COVID...

I'm not sure what complicating factors Covid adds to it, but while I think it's super important to know if you do have a heart murmur and have a doctor monitor it, in my case it doesn't affect me at all. The murmur's always been there, and as long as I keep on travelling along pretty healthy, it's not ever going to cause me problems.

I'm glad you recovered from your bout of Covid, and will keep my fingers crossed that everything turns out fine for you *hugs*

[róisín_dubh]

94. I had an echo after covid.

It looked normal but my doctor was really concerned as I’ve had tachycardia in the past and no one can figure out why.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

95. I hope everything turns out well for you

and that you feel better!