ehealthyland.com

An innocent heart murmur generally doesn’t require treatment because the heart is normal. If innocent murmurs are the result of an illness, such as fever or hyperthyroidism, the murmurs will go away once that condition is treated.

If you or your child has an abnormal heart murmur, treatment may not be necessary. Your doctor may want to monitor the condition over time. If treatment is necessary, it depends on what heart problem is causing the murmur and may include medications or surgery.

Innocent Heart Murmurs:Healthy children who have innocent heart murmurs don’t need treatment because they have normal hearts. If your child has an innocent murmur, alert his or her doctor during regular checkups.Pregnant women who have innocent heart murmurs due to extra blood volume also don’t need treatment.You may have an innocent heart murmur due to an illness or condition, such as anemia, hyperthyroidism, or fever. The murmur will go away once the illness or condition is treated.

Abnormal Heart Murmurs:Treatment for abnormal heart murmurs depends on the heart problems causing them. For example, treatment for a congenital heart defect depends on the type and severity of the defect. Treatment may include medicine or surgery. (For more information, see the Diseases and Conditions Index Congenital Heart Defects article.)When an infection or disease causes a heart murmur, treatment depends on the type, amount, and severity of the heart damage. Treatments may include medicine or surgery.

Medications:The medication your doctor prescribes depends on the specific heart problem you have. Some medications your doctor might give you:

1.Statins. Statins help lower your cholesterol. Having high cholesterol seems to worsen some heart valve problems, including some heart murmurs.

2.Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. ACE inhibitors lower your blood pressure. High blood pressure can worsen underlying conditions that cause heart murmurs.

3.Water pills (diuretics). Diuretics remove excess fluid from your body, which can help treat other conditions that might worsen a heart murmur, such as high blood pressure.

4.Medications that prevent blood clots (anticoagulants). Your doctor may also prescribe anticoagulants, such as aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin) or clopidogrel (Plavix). This prevents blood clots from forming in your heart and causing a heart attack or stroke.

5.Digoxin (digitalis). Digoxin is a medication that helps your heart squeeze harder, which can help if your heart murmur is caused by an underlying condition that weakens your heart muscle.

Surgery or catheterization:Surgical or catheterization options also depend on your specific heart problem. Although open-heart surgery may be needed, sometimes the cause of the heart murmur is treated by inserting a catheter through an artery in your groin and threading the catheter through your veins to your heart to treat your condition (cardiac catheterization). Examples of procedures include:

Widening a blood vessel that’s too narrow by inserting a mesh tube called a stent
Rebuilding a blood vessel
Fixing or replacing a valve
Patching a hole in your heart

Doctors used to recommend that most people with abnormal heart murmurs take antibiotics before visiting the dentist or having surgery. That’s usually not the case anymore. Most people with heart murmurs won’t need antibiotics. If you have questions about whether or not you should take antibiotics, talk to your doctor.