That whooshing sound in your heart might be harmless, but it requires professional evaluation.
In short: A heart murmur is not a disease, but a sound—a whoosh or swish—caused by turbulent blood flow. While often innocent, especially in children, these sounds can also signal underlying structural heart defects or valve issues. Distinguishing between a benign variant and a serious condition is a vital diagnostic skill.
A healthy heart produces a rhythmic 'lubb-dupp' sound as its valves close. A murmur occurs when blood flow becomes choppy or turbulent, creating extra noise detectable by a stethoscope. These sounds are categorized by their timing within the heartbeat: systolic murmurs occur during contraction, diastolic murmurs during relaxation, and continuous murmurs persist throughout both phases. While systolic murmurs are common, diastolic and continuous murmurs are more frequently associated with underlying heart disease.
Innocent, or functional, murmurs are benign and common, particularly in newborns and children. It is estimated that 66% of children experience a murmur at some point, with up to 60% of those being diagnosed as innocent by pediatric cardiologists. These harmless sounds can be triggered by physiological states like fever, anemia, pregnancy, or rapid growth phases. Often, these murmurs resolve as a child matures, though some persist into adulthood without causing health complications.
Pathologic murmurs, by contrast, indicate structural issues. In children, these are often congenital, such as holes in the heart or cardiac shunts. In adults, acquired valve disease is a primary concern, often caused by calcium deposits that stiffen valves, or infections like endocarditis. Because a murmur can be the first clinical sign of a serious condition, providers use specific maneuvers—such as the handgrip or squatting—and auscultation at four distinct chest locations to characterize the sound. Advanced diagnostic tools, including AI-driven analysis of phonocardiogram recordings, are now being developed to further streamline the detection of these cardiac anomalies.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Heart murmurs: Irregular heart sounds may be harmless-Heart murmurs - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic
- Also: Heart murmur
- Also: Heart Murmur: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
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