Can you feel a heart murmur?

Question

Sometimes it feels like my heart skips a beat or gets "Stuck" while beating and I think it could be a heart murmur. So can you feel a heart murmur?

(Yes....I plan to see a doctor, I just wanted to know if you can feel a heart murmur)

Answer 1

No, you can't feel them.  A doctor found one on me using an amplified stethoscope -- if my normal doctor had checked me using his normal stethoscope, I would never have known I had one.

Answer 2

Well being that I don't have a normal heart beat, I can honestly say yes, you can feel a heart murmur if it is bad enough. Half of my heart beat has been replaced with a blowing sound. It is prominent enough that I can feel how it is wrong when at rest, since I know what a normal heart beat should be like.

What you are describing doesn't seem to be a murmur and quite frankly is a common description for a heart beat pattern that people without any problems can get on a regular basis without harm.

But only someone trained can tell the difference. Ask your doctor. It will only take a moment for the doctor to tell you if you have a normal heart beat.  

Answer 3

You can feel a heart murmur.  Doctors call it a "thrill" no pun intended.  It happens when the sound is loud enough to transmit the vibration to the chest wall.  What you are having is not a murmur but a skipped beat or premature contracions  of the heart.  These are very common even in normal people and are not a cause for concern.

Answer 4

Heart murmurs can only be heard with a stethoscope from what i've read.

What your experiencing is an ectopic heartbeat, where an electrical impulse from one of the heart muscle fibres fires off before the Sino atrial node sends the signal for the heart to beat again. This will cause 1 normal beat then another weaker beat in rapid succession. Then there will be a pause, then the thump as the extra volume of blood is ejected from the heart

It's entirely normal cardiac event, as about 50% of the population has it (just many don't notice it, or disregard it).

Keep off the stimulants, like caffeine, nicotine etc. Alcohol can also make skipped beats worse, but usually the day after indulging.

The doctor will most likely just reassure you its nothing to worry about, which does bring peace of mind. :-)