Diagnosing Heart Murmurs
A medical professional can identify a heart murmur by listening to your heart. The sound of a murmur is an unusual swishing. Your healthcare professional uses a stethoscope to listen to your heart from various locations on your chest and back. They listen to your heartbeat for various things:
- The sound is lub-dub rather than swishing.
- Timing, Rhythm, Pitch, and Volume.
While they listen to you, your healthcare professional may ask you to perform certain actions, including:
- Holding your hands firmly
- Sit
- Squat
- Suddenly stand
- Lean back