Heart Murmur

[Samsquanch]

I'm 18. I've had a heart murmur from birth because I was born with polysistic(?) kidney. They said it will create a disorder in something's like my heart. I'm an everyday smoker about a pack a day. I do have other problems with my body that create stress on my heart probably. I get bad anxiety also, isn't that hard on the heart..? So I'm wondering Should I be worried?

[Samsquanch]

I Will Definately Go Get My Murmur Evaluated Last Time I Did I Was A Kid.. Ya, Smoking Is My Down Fall But! I've Got To Quit And I Want To Quit, It's Hard Though With So Many Smokers Around Me Daily. Thanks For The Advice. :)

[MichelleP_3811]

I don't know much about murmurs or your issue that you were born with but I understand that most murmurs are fairly harmless.  Have you had your murmur evaluated?  Have you had your heart evaluated to be healthy otherwise?  If so then you likely have nothing to worry about too much.  Also I don't think anxiety is too hard on the heart.  Stress in the long run though may take its toll so you may want to take steps to learn how to manage your stress and anxiety better.  As well smoking is super bad for your heart regardless if one has any underlying conditions.  It is not the best option for managing stress and anxiety so maybe see your doctor to find better ways to cope that don't involve smoking.  So to answer your question I wouldn't so much be worried as be mindful that the smoking and stress though not immediate threats can have an untold affect on your heart in the long term.  Take care and it is good you are being mindful of your heath at such a young age.  We are here if you have any more questions but please do not hesitate to pose these questions to your doctor.  Most of us are just patients like you so our advice is based on personal experience and should not replace the sound advice from your doctor.  I will say I smoked for many years and really liked it so I can understand it may be hard to quit but once I did as much as I liked smoking I was super super happy to be free from the control the cigarettes had over me. And I really did feel a whole lot better physically from quitting.  So really do try to quit if you can.  Your body will be very happy if you do.  Talk to you later.