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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffHeart murmurs are abnormal sounds during your heartbeat cycle — such as whooshing or swishing — made by turbulent blood in or near your heart. These sounds can be heard with a stethoscope. A normal heartbeat makes two sounds like "lubb-dupp" (sometimes described as "lub-DUP"), which are the sounds of your heart valves closing.
Heart murmurs can be present at birth (congenital) or develop later in life. A heart murmur isn't a disease — but murmurs may indicate an underlying heart problem.
Most heart murmurs are harmless (innocent) and don't need treatment. Some heart murmurs may require follow-up tests to be sure the murmur isn't caused by a serious underlying heart condition. Treatment, if needed, is directed at the cause of your heart murmurs.
- Heart murmur. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/heartmurmur/hmurmur_all.html. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Heart murmurs. Nemours Foundation. http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/heart/heart_murmurs.html. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Holes in the heart. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/holes/holes_all.html. Accessed March 9, 2010.
- O'Rourke RA, et al. The history, physical examination and cardiac auscultation. In: Furster V, et al. Hurst's The Heart. 12th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3057807. Accessed March 1, 2010.
- Koo S, et al. Cardiovascular signs and symptoms in evaluating cardiac murmurs in children. Pediatrics International. 2008;50:145.
- Wilson W, et al. Prevention of infective endocarditis: Guidelines from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2007;116:1736.
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