Clinical Overview
Reviewed by Dr. Michael Fuller

A heart murmur is an abnormal sound made by the heart, and detected with a stethoscope. It may be aproblematic, or it may indicate a serious problem.

Many heart murmurs are aproblematic, have no symptoms, and are only detected by the doctor during a physical examination.

Aproblematic murmurs may be caused by:

• Pregnancy
  
• Anemia
  
• Fever
  

More serious murmurs may be caused by:

• High blood pressure
  
• Cardiomyopathy
  
• Heart valve disease
  
• Congenital heart disease
  
• Inflammation such as myocarditis, pericarditis or endocarditis
  
• Thyroid problems
  

Last updated: Feb-25-08