Cardiology | |
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This article is part of a series. | |
Investigations | |
Physical examination Electrocardiography Imaging techniques Stress testing Tilt testing Cardiac catherization | |
Conditions | |
Cardiac arrhythmias Congenital heart disease Endocardial disease Heart failure Ischaemic heart disease Pericardial diasease Valvular heart disease Vascular disease | |
Cardiology portal | |
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Heart murmurs, or cardiac murmurs are sounds that occur in additon to the normal sounds of the heart. They are the result of turbulent blood flow through the heart that is sufficient to produce an audible sound. Murmurs can be present in physiologically normal hearts in which case they are referred to as innocent murmurs. Aside from innocent murmurs, common (problematic) causes of heart murmurs include narrowing or leaky valves or the presence of abnormal passages through which blood flows, in or near the heart. Heart murmurs are usually picked up on auscultation of the chest with a stephoscope but are occaisionally loud enough to be heard without listening to the chest. The intensity of a murmur does not necessarily reflect the severity of the underlying condition that is causing it.