What Is A Buzzing Heart Murmur?

What is a buzzing heart murmur? What does it mean if your heart makes a buzzing sound? What causes it and what can be done about it?

A buzzing heart murmur is simply a heart murmur marked by a buzzing or whizzing sound. A doctor detects a murmur by the unusual noise made between heartbeats. It can be loud, soft, or nearly inaudible. It is not necessarily a sign of a serious medical problem. In fact, you can have a buzzing heart murmur your entire life without symptoms or complications. In this case, you would have an innocent murmur. An abnormal heart murmur, on the other hand, may be a sign of a greater cardiovascular issue.

What is the buzzing sound of a heart murmur caused by? Think of the sound of water suddenly rushing through a pipe. This is the same principle with a murmur; the blood is flowing faster than normal, perhaps even turbulently. There are different reasons that this could happen. There could be a heart defect from the time of birth, which could cause the flow of blood to rush at times due to structural issues. There could be damage to a valve, or even changes to the heart from surgery or age. Even an increased presence of blood can lead to a buzzing heart murmur.

What should be done about the buzzing, whooshing sound of blood flow? As it is almost impossible to hear a heart murmur without a stethoscope; a doctor will probably be the one to discover it. They can tell you if it is innocent or abnormal, and decide what steps should be taken next if any. Most likely a buzzing heart murmur is a sign to take it easy, if anything at all.

References:

Heart Lung and Blood Institute