What is a heart murmur?

A heart murmur is a whistling, rasping sound that is heard during a heartbeat cycle. It is an extra sound made during a heartbeat cycle. Heart murmurs can be harmless, but they may also indicate a faulty valve, for example. Heart murmurs can be heard using a stethoscope and are diagnosed and treated by cardiologists. 

Are heart murmurs serious?

There are two main types of heart murmur; innocent murmurs and abnormal murmurs. Innocent murmurs present when blood flows more quickly than usual through the heart. This can result from pregnancy, exercise, illness or growth spurts (e.g. puberty).

Abnormal murmurs are common in cases of congenital heart defects in babies, such as valve problems or holes in the heart. In many cases, heart murmurs are not life-threatening and don’t require any treatment. Depending on the cause of the murmur, such as pregnancy, they can also go away on their own. However, if the murmur is an indication of a serious underlying heart problem, treatment will be required.

What does a heart murmur feel like?

Many people with heart murmurs don’t realise they have one as it doesn’t cause any sensations in and of itself. Heart murmurs are actually just sounds - a whooshing or swishing - created when the blood flow through the heart is faster or more turbulent than normal. Although a heart murmur itself doesn’t cause the patient to feel anything, they may experience symptoms such as fainting or dizziness.

Which symptoms can accompany a heart murmur?

Often a heart murmur will not be accompanied by other symptoms. However, if the murmur is the result of an underlying heart condition, the following symptoms may also be present:

• chest pain
• tiredness
• palpitations
• syncope or dizziness
• sudden weight gain
• shortness of breath, especially when exercising
• blue-tinged skin (especially the lips and fingers)

What causes a heart murmur?

Whilst people with a healthy heart can have heart murmurs, they can also result from other problems, such as:

• a heart valve that is thickened or abnormal in some way
• an abnormal communication between two cavities due to congenital heart disease
• atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries
• hypertension, anaemia, fever or an overactive thyroid gland
• congenital alterations in the arteries and veins connected to the heart

A heart murmur can also result from pregnancy.

What is the treatment for a heart murmur?

In general, heart murmurs do not need any treatment. If the murmur is associated with an underlying heart problem, such as high blood pressure, it will be necessary to treat this. When the heart murmur is caused by valvular disease, a pharmacological treatment or surgical intervention may be necessary.