What exactly is a heart murmur?

I have a heart murmur and I'm not quite sure what the definition really means. I mean the only thing I know is that when your heart pumps blood it makes and extra whoosh that sounds like a water hose.

Let's start with the very basics about flow and vibrations. When you have either a gaseous or liquid substance, travel across a solid object, the shape of the solid can modify the flow character of the liquid or gas in such a way that it causes it to vibrate. It is this modulation of the flowing substance that causes it to create sound waves.

With air, when it races across buildings or trees, we call it whistling. A common childhood play activity is to blow across the opening of a bottle to make a noise.

With liquids, flow noises characteristics have been studied for years as part of engineering. Often, old time mechanical plant engineers used stethoscopes to listen to pipes for tell tale signs of impending pipe failures heralded by a change in the flow noise pitch or character.

With blood racing through the chambers of the heart, a structural abnormality or defect can alter the flow character so that an audible sound, that is, a "murmur," can be detected.

Historically, the appearance of a murmur was a sign that something serious could be amiss and both doctor and patient wrung their hands because there was little that either could do.

Nowadays, the appearance of a murmur is usually treated by medicine as a general sign (like a fever) for the need to investigate further. The first step of which is to determine the clinical significance of the flow character creating the murmur. That is to say, what if any effect, does this have on the patient?

Like many respondents have already stated; most murmurs are benign or without significance. That is, they have no effect other than worrying patients to death. A minority of others, indeed may signal profound disease. Speak with your doctor about what YOUR murmur means.

Oh, and by the way; many well meaning people on the internet will say that they have a murmur and their experience has been yada yada...

Except that to compare murmurs is likened to comparing gun shot wounds. No two are alike unless you get down into the nitty gritty of which valve is creating the murmur and at which phase of the cardiac cycle, and know what the ejection fractions and pressures in each chamber are. Inotherwords, you're never going to get anything meaningful to compare.

Speak with your doctors. I suppose they'll order an echocardiogram to start. If there is a significant problem, then they'll do more intensive testing. But for now, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Good luck.

Ralph

Murmurs are abnormal heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow which is sufficient to produce audible noise. This most commonly results from narrowing or leaking of valves or the presence of abnormal passages through which blood flows in or near the heart. Murmurs are not usually part of the normal cardiac physiology and thus warrant further investigations. However, they sometimes result from harmless flow characteristics of no clinical significance.

A heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during your heartbeat. Murmurs range from very faint to very loud and sometimes sound like a whooshing or swishing noise. Normal heartbeat sounds鈥?quot;lub-DUPP" or "lub-DUB"鈥攁re the valves closing as blood moves through the heart.
A heart murmur is not a disease; it is a sound that the doctor hears with a stethoscope. It may be normal, or it could be a sign that something may be wrong. Most heart murmurs are harmless. Some are signs of heart problems, especially if other signs or symptoms of a heart problem are present.
Types of Murmurs
Innocent (harmless) murmurs

A person with an innocent murmur has a normal heart and usually has no other signs or symptoms of a heart problem. Innocent murmurs are common in healthy children.
Abnormal murmurs

A person with an abnormal murmur usually has other signs or symptoms of a heart problem. Most abnormal murmurs in children are due to congenital heart defects鈥攈eart defects present at birth. In adults, abnormal murmurs are most often due to heart valve problems caused by infection, disease, or aging.

A heart murmur is a slight leak in one or more heart valves. All heart valves leak a little, but some people have leaks that are large enough to hear with a stethoscope. Its extremely common and usually no big deal.

I have had a heart murmur all my life. I'm 51. I felt great until i was about 47. I started having problems with my breathing and had to have a mitrial heart valve replacement. My heart is ok now. Some people never have any problems with their murmurs. Most of my family have them and they are ok, and they all are older than me. Find a good heart doctor that you can trust. He will want to check it out every 5 years or so. Until then , enjoy your life and try not to worry about things you have no control over. bless you and good luck.