Abnormalities of the heart may be either congenital or acquired during
life and are very common. In most cases they cause trivial effects on the
function of the heart and, provided certain precautions are taken, will not
interfere with the person’s life. Occasionally, however, the effects may be
more severe so that an undue strain is placed on the muscle of the heart. In
such cases it may be necessary to operate on the valve. Abnormalities of the
heart valves are often detected when the doctor listens to the heart with a
stethoscope and hears murmur or noise coming from the valve. However, a
heart murmur, in itself, does not mean there is anything wrong with the heart
and is often heard in completely healthy people.