Is a Heart Murmur a sign of Heart Disease?

Yes, a heart murmur, or abnormal sound heard through an electronic stethoscope (auscultation), is certainly one potential sign of heart disease. It can occur in both healthy and compromised hearts and can have many different causes, such as structural abnormalities within the walls of the heart or even a temporarily increased flow of blood between chambers due to exercise.

Heart murmurs may be classified by intensity as either “benign” or “innocent” if they are very faint and thought to be harmless; “functional” if caused by modest increases in blood flow due to conditions like fever, anemia or pregnancy; or “pathological” if caused by more serious conditions like valvular defects due to genetic predisposition, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart) or atrial septal defect (incomplete closure between two chambers). In some cases of pathological murmurs, other symptoms may appear alongside them — including shortness of breath during activity, dizziness and chest pain — but this isn't always true.

Ultimately, any time you hear a murmur that wasn't there before it's important to consult your doctor so they can diagnose its cause. For those with known risk factors for cardiovascular issues and/or already diagnosed cardiac conditions it's especially important that changes in symptoms are reported immediately. Any sudden changes in physical sensation must be taken very seriously when we're talking about our hearts!