A heart murmur refers to an abnormal sound – variously described as a whooshing, swishing, rasping or blowing noise – created when blood moves through the heart. The sound is most often caused by a heart valve that doesn’t open or close properly. Here's what you need to know about heart murmurs.
1. Having a heart murmur doesn’t mean you have heart disease.
About 61 per cent of heart murmur cases referred to a specialist are described as "innocent," which means they don't affect heart function, says Dr. Andreas Wielgosz, a cardiologist at the University of Ottawa and spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Up to 60 per cent of children will have a heart murmur at some stage, but the murmur will typically go away as the child grows. For example, a child born with a small hole on the inside wall of her heart may have a heart murmur, but as she grows and the hole closes, the murmur will likely disappear. In adults, innocent murmurs can also occur temporarily if their blood flows faster or harder than usual, for example, during pregnancy or while battling a fever. In cases of innocent heart murmurs, a doctor may order an echocardiogram to monitor the condition and rule out serious heart valve malfunction.
2. Heart murmurs are graded from 1 to 6, depending on how loud they are.
A Grade 1 murmur is barely audible with a stethoscope, while a Grade 6 murmur is audible without one. Grades 4 through 6 are accompanied by a vibration, or "thrill." But don't assume you’re in the clear if your murmur has a low grade. The location of the heart murmur is usually more important than the grade in determining the seriousness of the problem, says Wielgosz
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