Guide To The Symptoms Of Endocarditis

Heart Murmur

A new or changed heart murmur can indicate an individual has endocarditis. A healthy heart when listened to has two distinct sounds, a lub noise, and a dub noise. The lub sound is produced by the closing of the tricuspid and mitral valves. The dub sound is produced by the closing of the aortic and pulmonic valves. A heart murmur is an abnormal sound of swishing when listening to the heart. Abnormal or turbulent blood flow through or across a valve in the heart causes a heart murmur.

Endocarditis can progress quickly and severely, or it may progress slowly and subtly. Many forms of acute endocarditis are caused by a direct pathogenic attack on a valve within the heart that rapidly causes damage to the previously normal valve tissue. Anytime a valve in the heart becomes damaged, the flow of blood through or across it becomes altered and produces an abnormal sound. A new heart murmur is most often associated with the acute forms of endocarditis, where a change in an existing heart murmur is most often associated with the subacute forms of endocarditis.

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