Can A Heart Murmur Cause Heart Palpitations? | Know The Signs

A heart murmur and palpitations can show up together when a valve issue or high-flow state also triggers extra beats or a fast rhythm.

You notice a flutter. Then a thump. Then a run of fast beats that makes you pause mid-sentence. Later, a clinician hears a “whoosh” with a stethoscope and tells you there’s a murmur. It’s normal to connect the dots and wonder if one caused the other.

Sometimes they’re linked. Sometimes they’re just neighbors that moved in at the same time for a totally different reason. The goal is to sort out which story fits you, spot the red flags, and know what tests usually clarify the picture.

What A Heart Murmur Actually Means

A heart murmur is a sound, not a diagnosis. It’s the noise of blood moving through the heart or across a valve in a way that’s loud enough to hear during an exam. Some murmurs come from normal, high-speed flow and never turn into a problem. Others point to valve disease or a structural issue that needs follow-up.

The American Heart Association explains that many murmurs are “innocent,” while others can be tied to valve problems or other heart conditions. You can read their breakdown of innocent heart murmurs to see why the sound alone doesn’t tell the full story.

Innocent Murmurs Vs Abnormal Murmurs

An innocent murmur often shows up when blood flow is faster than usual, like during fever, pregnancy, anemia, or thyroid overactivity. The heart itself may be structurally fine, and there may be no symptoms beyond the sound. The AHA lists several high-flow states that can create a murmur without valve damage. That list is a clue: if your body is pushing blood faster, you might also feel your heartbeat more strongly.

An abnormal murmur can happen when a valve is narrowed (stenosis) or leaky (regurgitation), or when blood moves through an unusual pathway. In that situation, the murmur is more like a signpost. The next step is to figure out what’s behind it.

What Heart Palpitations Feel Like

“Palpitations” is a symptom label. People use it to describe a racing heart, a fluttering sensation, pounding, skipped beats, or a sudden “drop” feeling in the chest or throat. Palpitations can come from harmless extra beats, stress, stimulants, illness, medication effects, or a true arrhythmia.

MedlinePlus lists a wide range of causes, from caffeine and nicotine to decongestants and fever, and also notes that some palpitations come from abnormal rhythms. See their overview of heart palpitations for a plain-language list of triggers and warning signs.

Palpitations Are A Feeling, Not A Rhythm Strip

Two people can feel the same flutter and have totally different rhythms on an ECG. One might have premature beats that are bothersome but not dangerous. Another might have an arrhythmia that needs treatment. That’s why the “what does it feel like?” description helps, yet the diagnosis usually comes from capturing the rhythm while symptoms are happening.

Can A Heart Murmur Cause Heart Palpitations? What The Link Can Mean

Yes, a murmur can be part of the same underlying issue that causes palpitations. The murmur itself is a sound, so it doesn’t “make” the heart race. The link is usually the condition behind the murmur.

Here are common ways the two connect:

• Valve disease that strains the heart. A leaky or narrowed valve can change pressures and chamber size over time. That can raise the odds of rhythm issues, which you may feel as palpitations.
• High-flow states. Fever, anemia, pregnancy, and thyroid overactivity can speed circulation and raise adrenaline tone. That can create an innocent murmur and also bring on pounding or fluttering beats. The AHA notes several high-flow causes of murmurs in its innocent murmur page.
• Cardiomyopathy or structural changes. Some structural heart problems create turbulence (murmur) and also affect electrical stability (palpitations).
• Arrhythmias that change flow. A fast rhythm can alter how blood moves through valves and chambers, sometimes making a previously quiet murmur easier to hear during the episode.

Mayo Clinic lists symptoms that can go along with “worrisome” murmurs, like shortness of breath, fainting, chest pain, and swelling. That symptom list helps because palpitations paired with other symptoms often deserves a closer look. See Mayo’s page on heart murmurs for those symptom patterns.

When A Murmur And Palpitations Are Likely Just A Coincidence

It’s common to discover a murmur during an exam that was done because palpitations were annoying. That timing makes them feel linked, even when they’re not. Innocent murmurs can sit quietly for years. Palpitations can flare after a stretch of poor sleep, dehydration, new medication, more caffeine, illness, or a stressful week. Two separate issues can overlap in the same month.

The clean way to separate “linked” from “coincidence” is testing that identifies the murmur’s cause and captures the rhythm during symptoms.

Clues That Suggest The Same Root Cause

You don’t need to self-diagnose, yet it helps to notice patterns. These clues often push clinicians to evaluate the murmur and palpitations as part of one story:

• Palpitations that show up with exertion, shortness of breath, chest tightness, near-fainting, or fainting
• A new murmur, or a murmur that sounds louder than before
• Swelling in legs or belly, sudden weight gain, or waking at night short of breath
• Palpitations paired with a known valve condition
• Family history of early sudden cardiac death or inherited cardiomyopathy

Cleveland Clinic lists palpitations as a possible symptom of a heart murmur, along with chest tightness and shortness of breath, depending on the cause of the murmur. Their overview of heart murmurs shows how symptom clusters can vary by diagnosis.

Table: Murmur Patterns And What They Often Point To

The table below is a practical way to connect “sound heard on exam” with common causes and the symptom mix clinicians watch for. It’s not a diagnosis tool. It’s a map for the next step.

Murmur Or Setting	Common Underlying Cause	What Palpitations Might Mean Here
Innocent flow murmur	Faster blood flow with normal structure (fever, pregnancy, anemia, thyroid overactivity)	Pounding or racing tied to the same high-flow trigger; rhythm can still be normal
Mitral valve regurgitation	Leaky mitral valve (degenerative, prolapse, dilation)	Extra beats or atrial fibrillation can appear as the left atrium stretches over time
Aortic stenosis	Narrowed aortic valve (calcification, congenital valve anatomy)	Palpitations with exertional symptoms raises concern for arrhythmia or limited output
Aortic regurgitation	Leaky aortic valve	Forceful beats from high stroke volume; arrhythmias can also occur in some cases
Tricuspid regurgitation	Leaky tricuspid valve, often tied to right-sided dilation or pulmonary pressure	Palpitations may track with atrial arrhythmias or fluid-related strain
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy murmur	Thickened heart muscle with outflow obstruction	Palpitations can signal ventricular or atrial rhythm issues that need prompt capture
Septal defect murmur	Abnormal opening between chambers (ASD/VSD)	Palpitations may reflect atrial arrhythmias in some adults with long-standing shunt
Murmur heard mainly during fast heartbeat	Turbulent flow made louder by tachycardia or dehydration	Focus turns to the rhythm trigger, plus hydration, illness, meds, stimulants

How Clinicians Usually Work This Up

The workup aims to answer two questions: what’s causing the murmur, and what rhythm is happening during palpitations. Once those are clear, treatment choices get straightforward.

Step One: History And Exam Details

The description matters: when palpitations start, how long they last, what you were doing, and whether you get dizziness, chest pain, breathlessness, or near-fainting. On exam, clinicians note where the murmur is loudest, when it happens in the heartbeat cycle, and whether it changes with position.

Step Two: ECG And Rhythm Capture

An ECG in the office is a snapshot. If symptoms come and go, a normal ECG doesn’t erase your experience. Many people need a monitor to catch the rhythm at the moment it happens. That can be a Holter monitor (often 24–48 hours), an event monitor for longer windows, or a patch monitor worn for days.

Step Three: Echocardiogram For The Murmur

An echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) is the standard test to identify valve structure, valve leak or narrowing, chamber size, and pumping function. If the echo is normal, the murmur is often classified as innocent or physiologic, and attention shifts to palpitations triggers and rhythm monitoring.

Step Four: Labs And Trigger Checks

When the story fits, clinicians may check blood counts for anemia, thyroid labs, electrolytes, and markers tied to infection or inflammation. This matches the “high-flow state” pathway that can link a murmur and palpitations.

When To Get Urgent Care

Some palpitations feel scary but pass in seconds. Others signal a rhythm problem that needs same-day care. The American Heart Association notes palpitations paired with symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, or fainting need medical attention. Their 2026 explainer on heart palpitations and when to worry lays out the symptom combinations that should push you to act.

Mayo Clinic also flags emergency care when palpitations occur with severe shortness of breath, chest pain, or fainting. See their guidance on palpitations diagnosis and care for those thresholds.

Table: Tests Commonly Used And What They Tell You

This table shows the usual tests people see when a murmur and palpitations are on the same visit note. Not everyone needs every test. The mix depends on your symptoms, exam findings, and risk factors.

Test	What It Can Show	What A Clear Result Can Mean
12-lead ECG	Baseline rhythm, conduction issues, prior injury clues	If normal, you may still need monitoring if symptoms come and go
Holter Or Patch Monitor	Arrhythmias during daily life, extra beats, runs of tachycardia	Links symptoms to a rhythm, which guides treatment choices
Event Monitor	Less frequent episodes over weeks	Useful when palpitations show up only a few times per month
Echocardiogram	Valve leak/narrowing, chamber size, pumping function	If normal, murmur is often physiologic; focus shifts to rhythm triggers
Blood Count	Anemia or infection markers	Treating anemia or illness can settle both murmur loudness and palpitations
Thyroid Labs	Overactive thyroid as a driver of fast rate and high-flow murmur	Correcting thyroid imbalance often reduces pounding and racing episodes
Exercise Stress Test	Rhythm and symptoms under exertion, ischemia clues	Helps when symptoms show up with activity or when risk is higher
Chest Imaging (Selected Cases)	Heart size, lung findings, other causes of breathlessness	Supports a broader cardiac or pulmonary evaluation when symptoms cluster

What Treatment Looks Like When They’re Linked

Treatment depends on what the echo and rhythm monitoring show. Some people need reassurance and trigger control. Others need medication, procedures, or valve care.

If The Murmur Is Innocent

An innocent murmur usually doesn’t need treatment. The work then targets the palpitations drivers: stimulant intake, sleep debt, dehydration, alcohol intake, and medication side effects. If anemia, fever, or thyroid overactivity is present, treating that root cause often quiets both the murmur sound and the pounding sensation. The AHA notes that high-flow states like anemia, pregnancy, and hyperthyroidism can cause murmurs without valve disease. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

If A Valve Problem Is Found

Valve care can range from periodic echocardiograms to medication for symptoms, and in some cases repair or replacement. Palpitations in valve disease can come from extra beats, atrial fibrillation, or other rhythm issues. Treatment may include rate control meds, rhythm meds, blood thinners in selected cases, or procedures guided by a cardiology team.

If An Arrhythmia Is The Main Driver

When monitoring captures an arrhythmia, management is tailored to the rhythm type. Cleveland Clinic describes arrhythmias as rhythms that are too fast, too slow, or irregular, and notes that severity ranges widely. That spectrum is why a documented rhythm makes decision-making clearer. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Some arrhythmias respond to trigger control and simple meds. Others respond best to catheter ablation or other procedures. Your clinician’s job is to match the plan to your rhythm, symptoms, and heart structure on echo.

Ways To Reduce Palpitations While You Wait For Testing

If you’re in the “workup” phase, these steps often help and also give your clinician cleaner clues:

• Track episodes. Note time, activity, duration, and any symptoms like dizziness or chest tightness.
• Check stimulants. Reduce caffeine, nicotine, and energy drinks for a couple of weeks, then watch for change. MedlinePlus lists caffeine and nicotine among common triggers. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• Review cold meds and supplements. Decongestants like pseudoephedrine can trigger palpitations in some people. MedlinePlus lists decongestants as potential causes. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• Hydrate and eat steady meals. Dehydration and low blood sugar can raise adrenaline tone and make beats feel louder.
• Prioritize sleep. Poor sleep can lower your threshold for noticing extra beats and can raise resting heart rate.
• Skip binge alcohol. Alcohol can trigger palpitations in some people, even with a normal heart.

If episodes come with fainting, chest pain, or shortness of breath, treat that as urgent and follow the emergency guidance outlined by Mayo Clinic and the AHA. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

What To Ask At Your Appointment

Good questions keep the visit practical and focused:

• Is the murmur likely innocent based on exam, or does it sound like valve disease?
• Should I get an echocardiogram, and if so, how soon?
• What monitor fits my symptom frequency: 24–48 hours, a patch for longer, or an event monitor?
• If palpitations are captured, what rhythm was it, and what does that mean for treatment?
• Are there trigger changes I should try until testing is done?

Putting It Together Without Guessing

A murmur and palpitations can share a cause, especially when valve disease or a high-flow state is in the mix. They can also overlap by coincidence. The fastest path to clarity is usually an echocardiogram for the murmur and rhythm monitoring for the palpitations. Once you have those results, the plan stops being speculative and becomes specific.

If your palpitations are new, worsening, or paired with dizziness, breathlessness, chest pain, or fainting, follow urgent-care guidance like the thresholds described by Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}