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Heart Murmur

Definition

A heart murmur is a sound made by turbulent blood flow in the heart. Some heart murmurs may be harmless. Others may be the sign of an underlying heart problem.

Heartbeat: Anatomy of the Heart

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Causes

Harmless murmurs are caused by the normal flow of blood. The murmur may come and go over time. Increased blood flow can increase the murmur sound. The murmur may be louder with:

Abnormal heart murmurs can be due to:

Risk Factors

Normal heart murmurs are more common in children 3 to 7 years old. Pregnant women are also at increased risk.

The risk for abnormal heart murmurs increases with any of the conditions listed above.

Symptoms

Harmless heart murmurs usually do not cause symptoms. Signs and symptoms of abnormal heart murmurs may be:

  • Rapid breathing or trouble breathing
  • Blue lips (cyanosis)
  • Lightheadedness and/or fainting
  • Chest pain
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat
  • Exercise intolerance
  • Inability to gain weight in children
  • Abdominal swelling
  • Enlarged neck veins

When Should I Call My Doctor?

Call the doctor if you think that you or your child has a heart murmur.

Diagnosis

Most heart murmurs are found during a routine exam. The murmur can be heard with a stethoscope. More tests will be done for murmurs that are causing problems. Blood tests may be done to rule out other problems. Images may be taken of your heart. This can be done with:

The heart's electrical activity may also be tested. This can be done with an ECG.

Treatment

Harmless heart murmurs do not need treatment.

Treatment will be based on the cause. Treating the cause may decrease or stop the murmur.

Antibiotics may need to be taken before and after some medical or dental procedures. It may be needed if the procedure could allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream. This is no longer a routine step for all heart murmurs.

Prevention

A healthy heart may reduce the risk of some abnormal heart murmurs. Steps may include:

RESOURCES:

American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Cardiovascular Society
http://www.ccs.ca

The College of Family Physicians of Canada
http://www.cfpc.ca

REFERENCES:

Antibiotic prophylaxis. American Dental Association website. Available at: http://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/antibiotic-prophylaxis. Update August 5, 2019. Accessed February 10, 2020.

Heart murmurs. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/CardiovascularConditionsofChildhood/Heart-Murmurs_UCM_314208_Article.jsp#.Wc5_b1tSxxA.Updated February 17, 2016. Accessed February 10, 2020.

Heart murmur in children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/heart-murmur-in-children. Updated December 18, 2015. Accessed February 10, 2020.

Heart murmurs and your child. Kids Health—Nemours Foundation website. Available at: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/murmurs.html. Updated January 2017. Accessed February 10, 2020.

Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Marcin Chwistek, MD