One of the most common heart conditions is a heart murmur. Many people are told they have a murmur sometime in their life.

A murmur is simply an extra sound that your doctor hears with a stethoscope. Normally the heart makes a lub, dub sound caused by your heart valves opening and closing. A murmur is an extra whooshing noise.

The extra noise is made by turbulent blood flow in the heart. Normally the blood flows through the heart quietly, like water in a deep, calm river. A murmur is like the sound of water rushing down a mountain stream.

Murmurs can be a normal sound in some people, especially children, young adults and pregnant women. These are called innocent murmurs and are caused by high blood flow across normal heart valves.

Some murmurs are a sign of significant heart disease and can show up on a doctor's examination long before a person has any symptoms at all. These murmurs can be caused by conditions like leaky heart valves, heart valves that do not open properly, holes in the heart, serious infections and thickened heart walls.

Your doctor can usually tell if a murmur is an innocent one or serious one based on your health history and physical examination. Often an ultrasound of the heart (also known as a cardiac echo) is utilized to find the cause and severity of the heart condition leading to the murmur.

Most patients with murmurs are treated with just medications and close physician observation. Occasionally, people with severe murmurs require open heart surgery to help their heart function properly.

If you are told you have a murmur:

• Have your doctor explain whether it is an innocent or serious murmur.
• Serious murmurs require close follow-up by your doctor and often by a specialist.
• People with serious murmurs may need to take antibiotics before dental work or work on their bowels or bladder. Ask your doctor if your murmur requires antibiotics.
• Consider wearing a Medic-Alert bracelet or tag.