Heartbeat of the Woods

Heading in for my physical. It’s nothing major, just checking things out. My grandma mentioned my heart was racing or sounding weird once, which was wild. I’ve always been super active with sports and all my labs—bloodwork, everything—have always come back perfect.
Is there anything I should actually be worried about?😠

Maybe... or maybe not. I guess we'll just have to see how things play out.

They first caught it in me about eight years ago. Back then, they told me I needed to swing by for checkups every three months or so, but honestly? I went once and pretty much just ghosted them after that. And hey, I’m still kicking! It’s kind of like my uncle—he was 60, super active, a total athlete, but he eventually had to hang up the jersey and retire from his "career" because of it. Even so, he never actually dealt with any major issues. Then there's my cousin, who’s basically living proof that this runs in our family...

It feels like nearly half of us deal with heart palpitations at some point. The real priority is getting an internist to pinpoint the exact type you're dealing with. Some varieties are completely harmless and just fade away on their own, while others definitely require medical intervention—but don't let that scare you too much. Usually, the ones that actually need treatment present themselves with much more severe symptoms.

So, one time I was told I had a systolic murmur. This happened back when I was dealing with this absolutely brutal bacterial throat infection—tonsils were basically screaming, and my fever was hitting like 104 degrees. Honestly, I can't tell if that murmur was actually tied to being that sick at the time or if it was just something else entirely...🤷

lol,
People keep bugging me about the college thing...
Man, if I go down, I go down...

fadedmarlin402 said:Nearly half of us are walking around with some kind of heart murmur these days. The real kicker is getting an internist to actually pin down which type you've got. Some of them are totally harmless and just fade away—nothing to sweat—while others definitely need medical intervention. But honestly, don't go panicking yet; those more serious ones usually make themselves known with much more intense symptoms.

So, what exactly are we talking about when you say "intense symptoms"??

I went through the exact same thing back when I was your age—supposedly it’s just a standard part of growing up, or whatever. Honestly, even now, it still happens to me occasionally... though usually only when I'm pushing myself too hard physically. It only hits me a few times a year. Before I started smoking again about a year and a half ago, I never had an issue with it. Now that I've picked it up again (yeah, I know, I'm a total idiot)... it happens, but really rarely. I've never actually gone in for any deep-dive medical testing or anything like that.
As for you, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't lose much sleep over it, though maybe go get some basic checkups just to be safe.

They told me I had a heart murmur about five years ago. I drove straight to the Mayo Clinic to get a second opinion, and they told me the hospital had botched the initial diagnosis—I was fine. Now, suddenly, I’m back to hearing the same story. It's hard to know who to trust when the experts can't stay on the same page.🙂

I don't give a damn. If I kick the bucket, let them take everything I own except my bones...

rustyscout3 said:And what exactly do you mean by "severe symptoms"??

Ha ha ha 😁

Ronald Morales2 said:I’ve got a physical coming up. I’m pretty lean, but what’s the deal if my grandma hears a murmur when she listens to my chest? wtf? I’ve always been active in sports and all my labs—blood work, everything—comes back perfect.
Anything to actually worry about?😠

And... are they sending you in for an echocardiogram?

Hey. Since I was 18, doctors have been telling me my heart has a bit of a murmur. They never bothered sending me for follow-up tests. About ten days ago, I went in for a routine physical and turns out it’s actually pretty significant. An echo showed it’s a moderate-to-severe murmur (they rank them mild, moderate, moderate-severe, and severe). I'm 30, pretty active—doing stuff like triathlons, both recreationally and competitively—and I’ve never felt any issues. I’ve even picked up some medals and felt in peak shape. Now? Competitive sports are off the table. I'm stuck with just light recreation maybe 2 or 3 times a week. The doctor who did the ultrasound has an athlete for a son, so she suggested this regimen, and my cardiologist backed her up. My high blood pressure is adding another layer of stress to all this. The doc says the murmur isn't terrifying yet, but it's about time we start treating it, and the blood pressure isn't helping... This runs in my family, so it was bound to hit me eventually.
I was put on a tiny dose of unknown (5mg once a day) to stabilize my blood pressure and help the heart muscle relax so it pumps easier.
I had my testing done at a local clinic (echo, EKG, Holter monitor, and a specialist for about $367) though if your BP is normal, you probably won't need the Holter.
A murmur can sometimes happen if you've had dental work or surgery and some stupid bacteria gets into your system and settles on a heart valve.
I have to get checked again in two years, though since my company covers annual checkups, I go every year anyway. What a joke.🙂!
Bottom line: definitely get an ultrasound to figure out what category your murmur falls into so you know exactly what you can and can't do.