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Heart murmurs and other sounds

Alternative Names

Chest sounds - murmurs; Heart sounds - abnormal

A health care provider will usually discover a heart murmur during a physical examination. You may or may not have been aware of its presence. The physical examination will include careful attention to heart sounds.

The doctor may ask the following questions:

  • Have other family members had murmurs or other abnormal heart sounds?
  • Is there any family history of heart problems?
  • What other symptoms do you have, such as bluish skin color (cyanosis), liver enlargement, distended neck veins, lung sound changes, weight gain, swelling, or shortness of breath?

Diagnostic testing to determine the cause of a "new" murmur or other abnormal heart sound may include:

Review Date: 10/22/2007
Reviewed By: Larry A. Weinrauch, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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