Heart Murmurs | Overview


What is a heart murmur?

A heart murmur is an abnormal heartbeat noise. When your doctor listens to your heartbeat with a stethoscope, he or she is listening to the sounds your blood makes as it flows through your heart. A heart murmur is when the blood makes an extra swishing or “whooshing” sound as it moves through your heart. A heart murmur can be a sign of a heart problem but can also be caused by a relatively minor issue or a normal increase in blood flow in the heart.


Heart Murmurs in Pedatric Patients: When Do You Refer? by ME McConnell, M.D., SB Adkins III, M.D., and DW. Hannon, M.D. (American Family Physician August 01, 1999, http://www.aafp.org/afp/990800ap/558.html)

Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff

Reviewed/Updated: 03/14
Created: 08/99