Heart Murmur - Causes



Innocent heart murmurs are caused by the normal sound of blood flowing through the heart and its blood vessels. They may also be caused by emotions, such as stress or fear, or by health problems, such as fever or anemia (see anemia entry).

Pathological heart murmurs are usually caused by one of two problems. One of these problems is a defective heart valve. The valve may not close or open completely. When that happens, blood does not flow normally through the heart. Enough blood may not be able to get through the heart, or the blood may back up and go the wrong direction.

The other problem is a hole in the heart. A hole sometimes develops in the wall between the left and right sides of the heart. A hole of this kind may be relatively harmless, or it may cause heart problems that require surgery.

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