If you have mitral valve prolapse, the flaps of the valve don't work well. One of the flaps moves back into the atrium when the heart beats. This can let blood flow from the ventricle back into the atrium. About 1 in 20 Americans has mitral valve prolapse. People are usually born with it.
More women have it than men.
Sometimes people with mitral valve prolapse have symptoms that go along with this condition. Your doctor can find mitral valve prolapse during a regular exam. When listening to your heart with a stethoscope, your doctor may hear a clicking sound. The flap makes the click. This sound is called a murmur.