Murmurs are blowing, whooshing, or rasping sounds heard during a heartbeat. The sound is caused by turbulent blood flow through the heart valves or near the heart.

Chest sounds - murmurs; Heart sounds - abnormal; Murmur - innocent; Innocent murmur; Systolic heart murmur; Diastolic heart murmur

A doctor can check heart sounds by listening with a stethoscope over the surface of the chest. An echocardiogram can find the exact cause of the murmur.

The heart has four chambers: two upper chambers (atria) and two lower chambers (ventricles). The heart has valves that close with each heartbeat, causing blood to flow in only one direction. The valves are located between the atria and ventricles, and between the ventricles and the major vessels from the heart.

Murmurs occur when a valve does not close tightly and blood leaks backward (called regurgitation). They also can occur when the blood flows through a narrowed or stiff valve (called stenosis).

There are several ways in which your doctor may describe a murmur:

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Heartbeat

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Heart murmurs and other sounds Treatment

Review Date: 06/05/2010
Reviewed By: Issam Mikati, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Director, Northwestern Clinic Echocardiography Lab, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)