What is a heart murmur and why is it bad?
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A heart should have 2 sounds. This is from valves closing during the heart pumping blood.
A murmur is an extra sound due to an issue with one (or more) of the four valves. Generally speaking, the issue can either be due to a weak valve (which causes back flow of blood) or a thickened/hardened valve (which makes the heart work harder to get the blood moving forward)
Murmurs are not always bad, it depends on their severity. Rather, how weak or thickened they are. But typically they cause the heart to work harder so that it can push the same amount of blood forward. Excess strain on the heart is not good
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