a heart murmur is a sign on physical exam but not a diagnosis unto itself. blood passes through the heart's four valves during every cardiac cycle. some people have valves that are leaky or don't open quite as well as they should. others have valves with either genetic abnormalities or changes that occur throughout life. and still others have totally normal valves. all of the above can create a "murmur " which is basically just the sound of blood flowing through. there are other less common causes of murmurs too that don't involve valves. sometimes we can make the diagnosis by just listening and other times we recommend an ultrasound of the heart to visualize the valves and determine if there are any abnormalities. it's not uncommon to hear a murmur get an ultrasound (also called an echocardiogram) and find that everything looks totally normal and does not require treatment or even follow-up. your son should talk to his doctor about whether an ultrasound would be appropriate. if he has any symptoms (chest pain shortness of breath fatigue) then it may be more appropriate to get an echocardiogram.
what is an heart murmur and can it be treated?