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What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Murmur?
People who have innocent (harmless) heart murmurs don't have any signs or symptoms other than the murmur itself. This is because innocent heart murmurs aren't caused by heart problems.
People who have abnormal heart murmurs may have signs or symptoms of the heart problems causing the murmurs. These signs and symptoms may include:
- Poor eating and failure to grow normally (in infants)
- Shortness of breath, which may occur only with physical exertion
- Excessive sweating with minimal or no exertion
- Chest pain
- Dizziness or fainting
- A bluish color on the skin, especially on the fingertips and lips
- Chronic cough
- Swelling or sudden weight gain
- Enlarged liver
- Enlarged neck veins
Signs and symptoms depend on the problem causing the heart murmur and its severity.
Clinical trials are research studies that explore whether a medical strategy, treatment, or device is safe and effective for humans.
Interested in learning more about heart disease in women? View a Storify archive of a September 28, 2012, Twitter chat on women’s heart health. The discussion includes experts from The Heart Truth®, Million Hearts™, healthfinder.gov, and the American College of Cardiology’s CardioSmart™
The NHLBI updates Health Topics articles on a biennial cycle based on a thorough review of research findings and new literature. The articles also are updated as needed if important new research is published. The date on each Health Topics article reflects when the content was originally posted or last revised.
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