Heart Murmur - Diagnosis

Heart murmurs can usually be detected quite easily. A doctor listens to a patient's chest with a stethoscope. Any sounds other than the normal "lubb-dubb" beating of the heart can be heard. If the sounds are faint, they may indicate an innocent heart murmur. An innocent heart murmur usually requires no further treatment.

One exception involves faint heart murmurs that occur in infants and children with other symptoms. Those symptoms in infants include poor appetite, problems with breathing normally, and failure to develop normally. In older children, symptoms include loss of consciousness or inability to take part in normal exercise.

The presence of a loud heart murmur may lead to further tests. A chest X ray, for example, may show the presence of defects in the heart. An electrocardiogram (ECG, pronounced ih-LEK-tro-KAR-dee-o-gram) shows whether the heart is beating normally. An electrocardiogram is a test in which the electrical activity of the heart is recorded.

An echocardiogram (pronounced ekko-KAR-dee-o-gram) may also be used to diagnose heart murmur. An echocardiogram is a test in which sound waves are sent through the heart. The path taken by the sound waves is recorded. The pattern of reflected sound may show any defects in the heart.