A heart murmur is an unusual sound heard during a heartbeat, often described as a whooshing, swishing, blowing, or rasping noise. This sound is caused by turbulent or rapid blood flow through the heart or its valves, which can be detected using a stethoscope

. Heart murmurs can be categorized as:

• Innocent (harmless) murmurs: These are not associated with heart disease and do not require treatment. Innocent murmurs are common, especially in children, and usually cause no symptoms

• Abnormal murmurs: These may indicate underlying heart problems such as valve abnormalities (narrowing or leaking), congenital heart defects, or other cardiac conditions. Symptoms related to abnormal murmurs can include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, or blue/gray lips and fingernails

Heart murmurs can be present from birth (congenital) or develop later in life (acquired)

. Diagnosis typically involves listening to the heart with a stethoscope, and further tests like echocardiograms or chest X-rays may be recommended to determine the cause and guide treatment if necessary

. In summary, a heart murmur is an abnormal sound caused by turbulent blood flow in the heart, which may be harmless or a sign of a heart condition depending on its cause and associated symptoms