Guest guest Posted June 3, 2002 Report Share Posted June 3, 2002 <<...For my mother who had a mummer, would you call that heart disease? I don't know much about it...>> Yes it is. It is when the valves in the heart do not close properly and allow blood to leak through them while they are closed. It is different from plugged arteries. I have been diagnosed with a murmur from time to time, but for some strange reason I no longer have it. One thing that happens with a murmur is that bacteria can form and grow on the openings of the valves which increases the murmur or leakage, so it can be progressive. Had a cousin who's heart valves were damaged by rheumatic fever while a teenager and he became progressively weaker as he aged. At age 27 (about 50 years ago) doctors replaced his heart valves with plastic ones. The operation was a success. However, he caught staph infection from the hospital (got into his incision) and died within a week of the operation! (That part hasn't changed, has it.) Replacing the damaged valves with plastic ones is now a pretty common procedure. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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