The sound is called a murmur and is best heard through a stethoscope. Not all murmurs mean that there is a valve problem. A stenotic valve is stiff and cannot open well because it has narrowed. This makes it harder for blood to pass through it. It also may allow blood to leak backward through it.
Treatment depends on how well the valve functions.
This makes the heart work harder by causing it to pump some of the same blood twice. When this happens, the heart, and one or more of its four chambers, get bigger. Not all valve problems cause problems for the patient. Many people live a normal life with a small amount of valve disease. Tests to diagnose valve problems include ultrasound testing, where sound waves are bounced off the heart valves to show how they move during the heart's beating.