Heart murmur

A heart murmur is an extra sound that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. Your doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to your heartbeat. When you have a heart murmur, your doctor can hear an extra whooshing or swishing noise along with your heartbeat.

It can be scary to learn that you or your child has a heart murmur. But heart murmurs are very common, especially in children, and are usually harmless. These normal murmurs are called "innocent" heart murmurs. There is nothing wrong with your heart when you have an innocent murmur. They usually go away as children grow.

Adults can have innocent murmurs too. Murmurs also happen when your blood flows harder and faster than usual—during pregnancy, for example, or a temporary illness, such as a fever.

Sometimes, though, a heart murmur is a sign of a heart problem. This is called an abnormal heart murmur.

You may not have any symptoms. Your doctor may find a heart murmur during a medical exam. For example, your doctor may hear an extra whooshing or swishing noise along with your heartbeat. If you do have symptoms, they may include feeling short of breath, weak or dizzy, or very tired.

Most heart murmurs are found during regular doctor visits. During exams, doctors listen to each part of the heartbeat. This includes any extra sounds, or murmurs, that may be there.

If a doctor hears a murmur, they can often tell if it's innocent by how loud the noise is, what part of the heart it's coming from, and what kind of sound it is. The doctor will also look for signs of a heart problem. These signs may include shortness of breath when the person is active, lightheadedness, a fast or irregular heartbeat, or a buildup of fluid in the legs or lungs. If your doctor thinks your murmur may be a sign of a problem, you will have tests to check your heart. You may also be sent to a heart specialist, called a cardiologist, for more tests.

• An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound test. It turns sound waves into pictures that show how well your heart is working. It can also show problems with the structure of your heart.
• An electrocardiogram, also called an EKG or ECG, checks the electrical activity of your heart. It translates your heart's electrical activity into line tracings on paper. The spikes and dips in the line tracings are called waves.
• A chest X-ray shows the size and shape of your heart. It also shows the position and shape of your large arteries.
• Cardiac catheterization can check for defects in the heart. A thin tube is inserted into an artery in your leg or arm. The tube, called a catheter, is slowly pushed up to your heart. A small amount of dye is injected, and the pictures show the heart chambers and valves as the dye moves through them.

If you have an innocent murmur, you do not need treatment, because your heart is normal.

If you have an abnormal murmur, treatment depends on the heart problem that is causing the murmur and may include medicines or surgery. Not all abnormal murmurs need to be treated. If you have an abnormal murmur and have no other symptoms, your doctor may only monitor your condition with an echocardiogram.

If you have symptoms, you may need to take medicine to lower your blood pressure and reduce your heart's workload. You may need surgery to replace a valve or to repair a valve or a heart defect.

• Be safe with medicines. Have your child take medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think your child is having a problem with his or her medicine. You will get more details on the specific medicines your doctor prescribes.
• Encourage your child to have active playtime, unless the doctor says not to.
• Keep your child away from smoke. Do not smoke or let anyone else smoke around your child or in your house. Smoke harms a child's lungs and leads to an unhealthy heart.