Being told that a doctor can hear a heart murmur often creates more questions than answers. The finding may come during a routine check-up when there are no heart symptoms at all, or it may be noticed while investigating breathlessness, palpitations, dizziness or another concern.
A heart murmur is not a diagnosis in itself. It is an additional sound heard when blood moves through the heart, and its significance depends on why that sound is occurring. Some murmurs are considered innocent and do not reflect structural heart disease. Others can be associated with a valve or another part of the heart that needs closer assessment.
The uncertainty between those possibilities is often what worries adults most. These six questions address the practical issues that commonly arise after a murmur is first detected.
1. Does A Heart Murmur Mean There Is Heart Disease?
No. A heart murmur describes a sound heard through a stethoscope rather than a disease on its own.
Blood normally moves through the heart in an organised way. When the flow becomes more turbulent, it can create an audible whooshing or swishing sound between the usual heart sounds. That change in flow can occur for several reasons.
An innocent or functional murmur can occur even when the structure of the heart is normal. Situations that temporarily increase blood flow, such as exercise, pregnancy, fever or anaemia, can sometimes make this type of murmur more noticeable.
Other murmurs occur because blood is moving differently through a heart valve or another cardiac structure. In adults, valve narrowing, known as stenosis, or a valve that allows blood to leak backwards, known as regurgitation, are among the possibilities a doctor may consider.
The important distinction is that hearing the sound does not reveal the cause by itself. A GP or cardiologist considers the murmur together with age, symptoms, medical history, blood pressure, medications and previous cardiac findings before deciding whether further investigation is appropriate.
For someone referred for specialist review, a cardiology consultation provides an opportunity to bring those pieces of information together rather than treating the murmur as an isolated finding.
2. Why Can A Heart Murmur Be Found For The First Time In Adulthood?
A newly detected murmur does not always mean the underlying change began recently.
Some murmurs are subtle and may not have been heard during previous examinations. The sound can also become easier to detect when heart rate, blood flow or body conditions change. A patient may therefore hear about a murmur for the first time even though it has been present for longer.
There are also causes that can develop with age. Heart valves can gradually become thicker, stiffer or less able to open and close normally. Previous infection, rheumatic heart disease, congenital valve differences and conditions affecting the heart muscle can also alter blood flow and produce a murmur.
This is why clinical history matters. A cardiologist may ask whether a murmur was ever mentioned in childhood, during pregnancy, before an operation or at an earlier health check. Previous echocardiograms or medical letters can sometimes show whether the finding is longstanding.
Patients seeing a cardiologist in Shepparton after a newly detected murmur may be referred for specialist interpretation even if they otherwise feel well. The purpose is to establish what the sound represents rather than assume that “newly heard” automatically means “newly developed”.
3. Can Stress Or Anxiety Cause A Heart Murmur?
Stress and anxiety can increase heart rate and make the heartbeat feel more noticeable, but they should not be assumed to explain a murmur without assessment.
Stress and anxiety can temporarily increase heart rate and circulation. Faster blood flow can sometimes make a flow murmur more noticeable, but anxiety should not be assumed to explain a newly detected murmur.
That is different from saying anxiety causes a structural problem with a heart valve. A murmur caused by valve narrowing, valve leakage or another structural condition needs to be assessed on its own clinical merits.
This distinction matters because people sometimes notice palpitations at the same time a murmur is discovered and naturally connect the two. Palpitations describe awareness of the heartbeat, while a murmur is a sound heard by a healthcare professional. They are not the same finding and may or may not have the same explanation.
If anxiety is making the situation feel more alarming, it can help to focus on what is known: a murmur has been heard, its cause may not yet be established, and further assessment can provide more useful information than trying to interpret the sound alone.
4. Why Is An Echocardiogram Often Used To Investigate A Murmur?
A stethoscope can detect the murmur, but it cannot show the heart valves and chambers directly. An echocardiogram adds that visual information.
An echocardiogram uses ultrasound to create moving images of the heart. It can show the heart chambers, valve movement and pumping function, while Doppler measurements can assess the direction and speed of blood flow.
For a murmur, those details can help determine whether a valve is narrowed, whether blood is leaking backwards through a valve, whether there is another structural explanation or whether the heart otherwise appears normal.
An echocardiogram is not automatically required for every murmur. The decision depends on the characteristics of the sound, the patient’s age, symptoms, medical history and what the examining clinician finds. In some situations, the clinical assessment may suggest an innocent murmur. In others, imaging is useful because the cause cannot be established by listening alone.
Murmur loudness is one clinical clue, but it does not determine the significance of a heart condition on its own. Doctors also consider where the murmur is heard, when it occurs during the heartbeat, whether it radiates elsewhere and what other clinical findings are present.
Patients attending a cardiologist on Park Road may therefore be assessed using a combination of history, examination and appropriate cardiac testing rather than one feature of the murmur in isolation.
5. Can An Adult Have A Heart Murmur Without Any Symptoms?
Yes. Some adults with a heart murmur feel completely well.
An innocent murmur may cause no symptoms because there is no underlying structural heart problem. Some valve conditions can also be present before noticeable symptoms develop, which is one reason a murmur may be detected during an unrelated medical examination.
When symptoms do occur, the pattern depends on the underlying cause rather than the murmur itself. Breathlessness, reduced exercise tolerance, dizziness, fainting, chest discomfort, swelling in the legs or an irregular heartbeat can all be relevant information for the doctor assessing the finding.
The absence of symptoms is therefore useful information, but it is not the only factor used to decide whether follow-up is needed. The characteristics of the murmur, age, cardiovascular history and any previous test results also contribute to the decision.
Likewise, symptoms should not automatically be attributed to the murmur. Breathlessness or dizziness can have many cardiac and non-cardiac causes. Specialist assessment is intended to work out whether the murmur is related to what the patient is experiencing.
People referred to cardiologists in Perth can be matched with a specialist and clinic according to the referral reason and the type of assessment required.
Severe or rapidly developing symptoms should not wait for a routine cardiology appointment. Call 000 for severe chest pain, sudden significant shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, stroke-like symptoms or another acute medical emergency.
6. Does A Heart Murmur Always Need Treatment?
Treatment is directed at the cause of the murmur, not at the sound itself.
An innocent murmur generally does not require cardiac treatment. If increased blood flow from another condition, such as anaemia or an overactive thyroid, is contributing to the sound, management may instead focus on that underlying issue.
When a murmur is associated with heart valve disease or another structural condition, the next step depends on what has been found and how it is affecting the heart. Some patients require monitoring rather than immediate treatment. Others may need medication to manage associated symptoms or cardiovascular conditions. More significant valve disease can sometimes require a procedure or surgery.
Follow-up is therefore individual. A cardiologist may recommend repeat examination or imaging at an interval based on the valve involved, severity of the finding, symptoms and changes over time. Another patient may need no ongoing cardiology follow-up after a reassuring assessment.
This is also why comparing one person’s murmur with another person’s experience can be misleading. Two people may both be told they have a murmur while having completely different causes, test findings and follow-up plans.
Advara HeartCare provides a range of heart tests that may form part of cardiac assessment when clinically appropriate. The investigation selected should answer a specific clinical question rather than simply add more testing.
What Matters Most After A Murmur Is Detected
A heart murmur can sound more definitive than it actually is. It tells a doctor that blood flow is producing an additional sound, but it does not by itself establish whether the heart is healthy, whether a valve condition is present or whether treatment will be needed.
The useful next step is to understand the context. Was the murmur detected during a routine examination or after new symptoms? Has it been heard before? Are there previous heart tests for comparison? Is an echocardiogram needed to assess the valves and heart structure?
These questions help turn an uncertain finding into a clinical assessment. For some adults, the result is reassurance with no treatment required. For others, identifying the cause allows appropriate monitoring or management to begin.
Until that assessment is complete, avoid assuming that the word “murmur” carries a particular diagnosis or level of severity. Follow the referral or testing advice provided, continue prescribed medicines unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise, and seek medical attention promptly if symptoms change.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not replace personalised medical advice. The cause and significance of a heart murmur vary between individuals. Speak with a GP, cardiologist or another qualified healthcare professional about individual symptoms, test results and follow-up needs. Call 000 for severe, sudden or rapidly worsening symptoms.