Heart Murmurs

A healthcare provider can diagnose a heart murmur by listening to your heart. A murmur makes an abnormal swishing sound.

Your provider listens to your heart with a stethoscope from different places on your chest and back. They listen for certain things in your heartbeat:

• Lub-dub sound instead of swishing.
• Pitch.
• Rhythm.
• Timing.
• Volume.

Your healthcare provider may ask you to do different things while they listen:

• Grip your hands.
• Sit.
• Squat.
• Stand suddenly.
• Lie down.

What tests might I have if a healthcare provider hears a heart murmur?

If a healthcare provider hears a murmur, you may need further testing to rule out a health problem. You may be referred to a cardiologist, a physician who specializes in the heart.

Tests that can determine the cause of a heart murmur are:

• Chest X-ray: A chest X-ray takes pictures inside your chest to find any structural problems.
• Echocardiogram: Echocardiogram (also called an echo) uses sound waves to create images of your heart’s valves and chambers. It helps examine your heart’s pumping action. This can be a surface ultrasound or a more specialized ultrasound procedure through your mouth and esophagus, which gives better pictures than the surface ultrasound.
• Electrocardiogram: Electrocardiogram(also called an ECG or EKG) is a painless test that measures the electrical activity of your heart.