Heart murmurs are sounds, such as swishing or whooshing, made by choppy, rapid, or turbulent blood flow through the heart. It is easy to hear these sounds via a stethoscope. A healthy heartbeat usually makes two sounds, described as lub-dub, when the heart valves close. In some people, heart murmurs are congenital, but in others, they are acquired and developed later in life. Some heart murmurs do not hint at heart disease, but some do.

Doctors advise some tests to examine the heart and valves and suggest treatment accordingly.

Causes
There can be several causes of heart murmurs, and doctors classify them depending on their causes.

• Murmurs from congenital heart disease, such as a hole in the heart
• Murmurs from complications of any other underlying condition, such as lupus and endocarditis
• Murmurs from ventricular problems, including conditions that affect the ventricles and the blood that flows through them, such as functional mitral regurgitation
• Valve disease-related murmur, such as a bicuspid aortic valve or aortic stenosis, can trigger a heart murmur.
• Flow murmurs can occur due to pregnancy, rapid growth spurts, hyperthyroidism, exercise, fever, or anemia. These causes can spike the blood flow and lead to an innocent heart murmur.

Factors and conditions responsible for abnormal heart murmurs
You may experience an abnormal heart murmur because of the following reasons:

• Heart valve disease
  This condition or a defect in the heart’s structure can lead to heart murmurs.
• Age
  As one ages, calcium can accumulate in the heart valves and reduce the valve opening. Hence, it is challenging for the blood to travel through them.
• Infective endocarditis
  This is a bacterial infection of the heart’s lining. It may also affect the valves, narrow the valve opening, and intervene with the blood flow.
• Patent ductus arteriosus
  This occurs when the opening between the pulmonary artery and aorta does not close after birth.
• Septal defects
  These defects are the holes in the walls between the lower or the upper chambers.
• Tumors
  These tumors can also develop in the heart valve or other parts of the heart, like the left atrium, and trigger a heart murmur.
• Aortic valve defects
  In some people, the aortic valve is stretched or dilated and does not function, resulting in the blood leaking backward. It triggers a heart murmur.
• Chromic rheumatic heart disease
  This is a condition causing chronic inflammation in the heart valves and affecting valve function and blood flow.

Other conditions responsible for heart murmurs are:

• Ehlers–Danlos syndrome
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
• Rheumatic fever
• Turner’s syndrome
• Congenital rubella syndrome
• Marfan syndrome
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Noonan syndrome
• Ebstein’s anomaly
• Degenerative valve disease
• Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction

Symptoms
Some murmurs do not cause symptoms and are diagnosed during routine tests.

• Heart palpitations
• Tightness in your chest
• Bluish skin
• Shortness of breath
• Cough that won’t go away
• Weakness or syncope

Treatment
Often adults and children experience innocent heart murmurs. These need no treatment. However, if any condition is responsible for heart murmurs (such as hypertension), doctors will suggest measures to cure the cause, including:

• Invasive procedures to rectify congenital heart defects or heart valve disease
• Diuretics to eliminate the extra water and salt from the body
• Pharmacy options to reduce blood pressure, palpitations, irregular heartbeats, and blood clots.