Changes in the intensity of the murmur when it occurs, often referred to as the shape of the murmur, are also noted. There are so many different kinds of congenital heart disease that I can't describe all the murmurs that might develop, but generally speaking severe congenital heart disease causes symptoms which would have been recognized by today's writer or her doctor. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can produce a murmur, and is somewhat worrisome in that it can occur in young people, and can occasionally cause sudden death in athletes. However, there is often a family history of the disease, and the murmur which it produces is usually described as harsh and diamond shaped. I doubt very much that her doctor would mistake that murmur for a functional one.
Shortness of breath is a common symptom.
Being thin increases the likelihood that a doctor will hear a murmur in someone since there is simply less bone, muscle and fat between the heart and the doctor's stethoscope. Therefore, soft functional murmurs which would never be heard at all in a heavier person may show up on an exam in a thin person. If a doctor has any question about a murmur that she hears, the next step is to order an echocardiogram, a non-invasive test that is very accurate in determining if there are any structural problems causing it. This is one doctor who makes housecalls. Shop O2 .