Heart murmurs: harmless or dangerous?

When your doctor listens to your heart with a stethoscope and hears a consistent ‘lub-dub’ rhythm, there’s usually no cause for concern. But if they hear a whooshing or swishing sound between lubs and dubs, it may be a sign of a heart murmur.

“Hearing that you have a heart murmur can cause distress,” says Vignesh Raghunath, MD, a cardiologist at Atlantic Health System. “I reassure patients that most heart murmurs are benign and usually only require monitoring.”

What is a heart murmur?

A heart murmur is an abnormal sound heard during a heartbeat cycle. It is typically caused by turbulent blood flow within the heart or in nearby blood vessels. Although most heart murmurs do not pose a significant health risk, an abnormal murmur can require medication, lifestyle changes, and in some cases, surgical intervention.

According to Dr. Raghunath, most young people with a heart murmur often do not require any treatment, while older people with a murmur should be monitored for progression of the disease.

When is a heart murmur cause for concern?

An abnormal heart murmur can indicate a heart valve disorder, a congenital heart defect, or another cardiovascular condition. To determine the cause and severity of a murmur, your cardiologist will perform a few tests to evaluate your heart’s intensity, duration, and pitch.

Treating a murmur typically starts with conservative measures such as taking medications and making lifestyle changes. More significant murmurs can require stronger interventions to guard against heart failure or sudden cardiac death. The key is to talk with your doctor.

How is a serious heart murmur treated?

“When a heart murmur escalates into severe valve disease and the patient is having symptoms, it’s time to make some decisions,” says Dr. Raghunath.

He explains that the best way to fix the underlying condition is to have a cardiothoracic surgeon repair or replace the damaged heart valve. But he reiterates this is rare and there are many interventions to consider before surgery is needed.

“As a cardiologist, patients are often referred to me by their primary care doctor for further testing,” says Dr. Raghunath. “I evaluate the heart’s structure, function, and the severity of the murmur, and recommend a treatment plan. In most cases, regular monitoring can be enough to keep symptoms at bay, avoid complications, and prevent the murmur from progressing into a more serious issue.”

Be proactive about your health

Staying up to date on annual wellness exams and screenings is important. So too, are the occasional trips to specialists to address sleep issues or any other health concerns that are nagging you.