Is my health in danger? Check out Healthy for Good's tip #11: Choose your own workout. Problems may include: Endocarditis is an infection in the heart’s valves and inner lining. The list includes physical activity, fever, and an excessive amount thyroid hormone in the body. An innocent murmur is more common in newborns and children and is harmless. Heart murmurs can be of two types: abnormal murmurs and innocent murmurs. Heart murmurs are quite common in healthy adolescents, children, and even infants. This infection can seriously damage your heart's valves. Your heart team will examine your heart and rule out any serious, undiagnosed heart conditions that may need treatment. Not all heart murmurs need to be treated with surgery. A murmur that occurs when the heart muscle relaxes between beats is called a diastolic murmur. These doctors can recognize and diagnose valve diseases that may be missed by other doctors. It is therefore a good idea to take your newborn or child to a pediatric cardiologist for further evaluation. Memory usage: 1927.7KB, Heart Palpitations and Headaches: Causes and Treatments, Beta-blockers to lower heart rate and control blood pressure. Schedule an appointment with a heart specialist, DNV GL Public Information Policy Statement. (These are called. If a heart murmur is detected, your doctor will listen to the loudness, location and timing of your murmur to find out whether it is harmless or a sign of a more serious condition. Whether a heart murmur is dangerous depends on what’s causing it in the first place. Several conditions can make the blood flow rapidly than normal through the heart. Heart murmurs are extra or abnormal sounds made by turbulent blood flowing through the heart. Depending on their loudness or intensity, heart murmurs are rated on a scale of 1 to 6 – Grade 1 is barely audible, while Grade 6 is the loudest. Some of the most common medications include the following: Medications do not help with different valve conditions, and that is when surgery is recommended. These types of heart murmurs are usually the outcome of structural problems of the heart. A grade 1 out of 6 is faint, heard only with a special effort. It is difficult to hear a murmur when a child is uncooperative and cries a lot. A heart murmur that occurs when the heart contracts. Innocent heart murmurs do not require treatments, they will disappear over time. Abnormal murmurs may be a sign of a more serious heart condition, such as a congenital heart defect that is present since birth or heart valve disease. There are a number of congenital defects causing heart murmurs. Even if you need treatment, your heart doctor (cardiologist) will work with you to decide what treatment is best and least invasive. Surgeries for heart murmurs often include valve repair and valve replacement. blue skin around your lips and fingertips. A heart murmur is when your heart makes an unusual sound as blood is flowing through your heart. Treatment Options. Here are some treatment options. Your child may also experience innocent heart murmurs where the levels of red blood cells are low. However, it is important to follow the doctor's advice when it comes to abnormal heart murmur in infants. The doctor will also pay attention to the location where the murmur is best heard and also consider if the murmur is soft or harsh blowing. Visit Heart murmurs for more information about this topic. They do not cause further health problems though. Instead, your treatment will depend on what’s causing your heart murmur in the first place. The doctor will prescribe medications depending on the type of heart problem your child has. People who have heart murmurs due to valve problems may be more at risk of developing infections on their valves (endocarditis) during certain medical or dental procedures where there is a risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream. Last Updated 20 October, 2020. If you have a heart murmur, your doctor will hear a sound that’s different from normal while your blood is flowing through your heart’s chambers. Heart listening exam conducted with the help of a stethoscope helps hear a murmur. The MitraClip pinches your mitral valve so it can close more fully. The outlook and treatment for abnormal heart murmurs depend on the type and severity of the heart condition that is causing the murmur. Some murmurs are associated with serious infected valves and require antibiotics. Murmurs sometimes sound like a whooshing or swishing noise. you have the symptoms described above and you think you may have an abnormal heart murmur. The doctor will prescribe medications depending on the type of heart problem your child has. Copyright © 2020 University of Utah Health, For All U of U Health Patients & Visitors. Many heart murmurs are innocent and don’t need treatment. Hearts that don’t have a murmur make a “lub dub” sound. Here are some treatment options. Heart murmurs can go away on their own. Diastolic murmur. Closing your mitral valve stops blood from leaking backwards. What Does That Mean? Murmurs are graded on a scale of 1 to 6, based on how loud they are. Many murmurs need no further evaluation, can be monitored, or are a normal variant. If your child has an innocent murmur, consult your pediatrician during regular checkups. 50 North Medical DriveSalt Lake City, UT 84132. Arrange your environment, boost willpower in the moment, strengthen ongoing willpower & ex... Did you know that adequate physical activity can lead to improved length and quality of life? Depending on the heart problem causing the abnormal murmurs, the murmurs may be associated with other symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting, bluish skin, or a chronic cough. For instance: In addition to congenital heart defects, infections and certain conditions can also damage the structures of the heart and cause heart murmur in infants. Heart murmurs that are caused by infections, birth defects, or diseases can be dangerous. You may have an innocent (non life-threatening) heart murmur if: If you have an innocent heart murmur, you probably won’t have any symptoms. Treatment may include medicines, cardiac catheterization, or surgery. A systolic murmur occurs when the heart muscle contracts. Symptoms in older children may include chest pain, fatigue, and difficulty doing physical activity. For example: Newborns are at a great risk of having congenital heart defects; in fact, about 1% of newborns have a heart murmur, and about 31% to 86% of these newborns have structural heart disease. Improve the longevity of your fresh produce with these simple tips. Most children with murmurs have a congenital heart murmur, meaning they were born with it. However, in some cases, a murmur may indicate a serious heart disease. your primary care doctor has told you that you have a heart murmur, and you have symptoms of an abnormal heart murmur, or. It’s important to remember that if you’ve been diagnosed with a heart murmur, that doesn’t mean you’ll always have it.