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Print: How do I know that I have mitral valve prolapse?
Usually, your doctor will find mitral valve prolapse during a regular exam. When listening to your heart with a stethoscope, your doctor may hear the flap of your mitral valve make a clicking sound. If blood is flowing back into the atrium, your doctor will hear a "whooshing" sound. This sound is called a murmur.
To find out how well your valve is working, your doctor may have you get an echocardiogram. The echocardiogram provides a picture of your heart that shows your valve as the blood flows through it. This can help your doctor decide if you need treatment.
Next: Treatment
Source
Current Management of Mitral Valve Prolapse by DP Bouknight, MD; RA O'Rourke, MD (American Family Physician June 01, 2000, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000601/3343.html)
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff
Reviewed/Updated: 09/10
Created: 09/00
