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A heart murmur is an extra sound heard during a heartbeat. It may be harmless, but it can also be linked to valve disease or other heart conditions. Medical guidance explains that a murmur may need tests depending on its sound, symptoms and patient risk factors. Read the medical overview here: Mayo Clinic guide to heart murmurs.
Doctors usually hear a murmur with a stethoscope. The sound is caused by blood flow through the heart. Some murmurs are innocent and do not cause harm. Others may point to a valve that is narrow, leaking or not formed normally.
A murmur should be checked more carefully if the person has symptoms. These may include breathlessness, chest pain, fainting, swelling in the legs, bluish lips, poor growth in children, or unusual tiredness.
Adults may develop murmurs because of valve narrowing, valve leakage, high blood pressure, infection, ageing-related calcium build-up or past rheumatic fever.
Children may have innocent murmurs, but some murmurs can be linked to congenital heart problems. A doctor can decide whether further testing is needed.
The common test for a murmur is echocardiography. It is a heart ultrasound. It shows how the valves open and close, how blood moves, and whether the heart chambers are enlarged.
If a valve problem is found, follow-up depends on severity. Some people need only periodic monitoring. Some need medicines. A smaller group may need a valve procedure.
Heart Valve Experts has patient information on heart valve and structural heart conditions, which may help readers understand why specialist evaluation is sometimes needed.
A murmur is not a diagnosis by itself. It is a clue that may or may not need further testing.
Medical note: Murmur with chest pain, fainting, severe breathlessness, blue lips or sudden weakness should be treated as urgent.
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