Heart Murmur Treatment

A person is said to have a heart murmur when his heart makes certain abnormal sounds. Our normal heartbeat sounds like lub-dub, however with heart murmur this sound is accompanied by whistling and swishing sounds. Heart murmurs are very common in newborn babies and can also be developed during adulthood. Though heart murmur cannot be defined as a disease, it may be an indicator of an underlying heart problem. There are actually two types of heart murmur: innocent and abnormal heart murmurs. Since, treatments will be determined by the type of heart murmur that one has, we have to take a closer look at the causes and symptoms of this problem.

Causes Heart Murmur
Innocent heart murmur are often seen in infants and young children when the speed of blood flow increases more than the normal rate. This is actually a temporary condition and does not cause any harm. Also, children and individuals who are suffering from health problems like fever, hyperthyroidism and anemia are also said to have heart murmur. Increased blood flow in pregnant women is also said to be one of the causes of innocent or harmless heart murmur. Old people and those who have undergone some kind of heart surgery may also have heart murmur.

Though innocent in most cases, heart murmur can also be a symptom of some kind of heart problem. Congenital heart defects have been found to cause heart murmur in babies. One of the most common among them is congenital septal defects, wherein holes are present on the septum i.e. the wall that divides the heart into two. Apart from this, congenital valve defects can also be the reason for this problem of heart murmur. In this case, the valves of the heart are so narrow that blood flow through them becomes very less.

Other than congenital heart defects, certain types of infection and other illnesses can also cause heart murmur in individuals. People suffering from rheumatic fever often have heart murmur, as this type of fever has the ability to cause permanent damage to the heart. When inflammation is caused in the inner lining of the heart and valves, a condition called endocarditis can arise which can also cause murmur in the heart. Hard or thick heart valves that occur in old people are also one of the reasons for heart murmur in people.

Symptoms
Usually abnormal heart murmur is accompanied by other symptoms of heart diseases. However, innocent heart murmur does not have any other symptoms. Some of the symptoms of abnormal heart murmur include:

• Shortness of breath
• Fast breathing
• Dizziness and fainting
• Poor eating habits (in infants)
• Chest pain
• Improper growth (in infants)
• Fatigue or extreme tiredness
• Excessive sweating
• Blue coloring inside the mouth and on the fingertips

Heart Murmur - Diagnosis

Heart murmur is usually diagnosed by the health practitioner while checking a person's heartbeat with a stethoscope during a routine checkup. According to the intensity of the heart murmurs, the doctor may ask whether the person has any of the above symptoms and may prescribe some additional physical as well as laboratory tests to identify the main cause of this problem.

Treatment
As I have mentioned earlier, treatment for heart murmur can be determined only when the form of heart murmur is diagnosed by the physician. As innocent heart murmurs are not dangerous, they are not given any kind of treatment. If it is caused be fever, pregnancy, anemia, hyperthyroidism, heart murmurs will stop once these conditions are cured. In the same way, treatment for abnormal heart murmur is closely associated with the treatment of the underlying heart problem. The two main treatment measures include medications and surgery, which will be decided according to the severity of the condition of the heart. In case of medications, antibiotics along with other drugs are given to prevent blood clots, reduce blood pressure, control irregular heartbeat as well as to control blood cholesterol levels. If the condition is worse, as well as for people who have congenital heart defects, surgery may be needed to rectify the problem.

Though there are no specific ways to prevent heart murmur occurring, regular blood pressure and cholesterol check up may help in indicating the occurrence of any such problem. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, do not delay in visiting a cardiologist who can do a detail check up to diagnose as well as analyze the root cause of the problem.