How to hear third heart sound


S3 is a sound heard after S2.





Usually second heart sounds splits at pulmonary area (left second intercostal area). If you hear splitting sound at the apical area, its S3 sound. This sound is heard with the bell of the stethoscope. Make sure you do not press too hard with the bell, as in this case the bell will be turned into a diaphragm!





The third heart sound is benign in youth, some trained athletes, and sometimes in pregnancy but if it re-emerges later in life it may signal cardiac problems like a failing left ventricle as in dilated congestive heart failure (CHF).



S3 is thought to be caused by the oscillation of blood back and forth between the walls of the ventricles initiated by inrushing blood from the atria.



Now that we have successfully learnt how to hear the third heart sound, I’ll leave you with this beautiful cup of flowers.

Happy learning!

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