Blood flows through the four chambers of the heart--the two upper chambers known as the atria and the two lower chambers known as the ventricles--through heart valves. These valves open and close as the ventricles contract and relax, allowing blood to flow in only one direction. When the valves become damaged, due to infection such as rheumatic fever, high blood pressure or a heart attack, they fail to open or close correctly, causing a potentially life-threatening condition.
Heart Murmur
A heart murmur describes an abnormal sound heard in the heart during a heartbeat. Normally the opening and closing of the heart valves creates a heartbeat that sounds like "lub-dub." The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute describes heart murmur sounds as whooshing or swishing noises that may be faint or loud.
Although a heart murmur may occur without any underlying heart condition, the most common cause of an abnormal heart murmur in adults is the occurrence of a heart valve problem, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. When heart murmur occurs due to a heart valve malfunction, other symptoms usually occur with it.
Shortness of Breath
A heart valve malfunction can cause shortness of breath, described by the Mayo Clinic as an intense tightening in the chest or a feeling of suffocation. Heart valves malfunction when they become stiff and hard. This interferes with the ability of the valves to open, obstructing the flow of blood. A decrease in blood flow to the body deprives the cells throughout the body of oxygen, causing shortness of breath.
Heart valves can become weak, causing them to fail to close properly and resulting regurgitation or backflow of blood. A damaged aortic valve, for example, allows blood to backflow into the left ventricle, reducing the amount of blood entering the aorta and reaching the cells of the body. This also leads to shortness of breath.
Fatigue
Although fatigue--a feeling of excessive tiredness--may occur as a normal response to physical exertion or stress, it also can be a sign of a serious condition. Many heart conditions, including malfunctions of the heart valves, can cause fatigue.
All cells require oxygen in order to function properly. A malfunctioning heart valve reduces the amount of oxygenated blood flowing through the body. In the absence of enough oxygen, the cells, and therefore the whole body, feel fatigued.
