what treatment for heart murmur

How does one get rid of a heart murmur?

How do you get rid of a heart murmur? Heart Murmur Treatment. Surgeries for heart murmurs often include valve repair and valve replacement. These surgeries treat the underlying valve problems in your heart that are causing the murmur.

Can a heart murmur go away on its own?

The good news is that many heart murmurs aren’t dangerous. In fact, many heart murmurs go away on their own over a few months or years. Whether you need treatment for your heart murmur will depend on what type of murmur you have.

What are the long term effects of a heart murmur?

• chest pain
• trouble doing usual activities/exercise
• shortness of breath
• sudden weight gain
• ankle swelling
• dizziness or fainting
• extreme tiredness
• fever or night sweats
• any symptoms that are out of the ordinary and causing you concern.

How do you treat a heart murmur?

Spencer was treated with intravenous diuretic initially and then tablets to decrease the fluid in the lungs. He was also started on anti-coagulation tablets to prevent clot formation, which often occurs in cats with cardiomyopathy if the heart chambers dilate.

What is the most common cause of a heart murmur?

In adults, worrisome heart murmurs are usually due to heart valve problems that develop later in life (acquired heart valve disease). Things that can damage the heart valves include: Calcium deposits.

How do you stop a heart murmur?

In most cases, you can't prevent heart murmurs. The exception is that if you treat an underlying condition, such as high blood pressure, or you avoid heart valve infection, heart murmurs are stopped before they start.

Can a heart murmur be treated with medication?

Some abnormal heart murmurs can be managed with medication. Some common medications used to treat heart murmurs include the following: statins—medications that lower your cholesterol. beta blockers or ACE inhibitors—medications that lower your blood pressure.

What should you not do with a heart murmur?

Do not smoke. Smoking increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.

What is the sound of a heart murmur?

Heart murmur. A heart murmur is a swishing sound heard when there is turbulent or abnormal blood flow across the heart valve.

Can a murmur be present without a heart condition?

Murmurs can be present without any medical or heart conditions. Two common examples include:

What is the best medicine for heart murmur?

They prevent you from retaining too much water in your body. Angiotensis-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These medications lower blood pressure, and by doing so, can improve your heart murmur.

What causes a murmur in the heart?

Valve problems. If the valves don’t allow enough blood to flow through or leak, it may cause a murmur. Valve calcification.

What is a heart murmur?

Heart murmurs are unusual sounds that the blood makes as it is pumped through your heart that can be heard through a stethoscope by a medical professional. Experts note that if you have a heart murmur, it's important that you follow the treatment plan prescribed by your doctor to avoid any serious health complications.

What are the best medications to prevent a heart attack?

Anticoagulants. These medications reduce blood clots. They reduce the likelihood that a blood clot will form in your heart or brain causing a heart attack or stroke. Common medications include aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) and clopidogrel (Plavix).

How does a doctor test for a heart blockage?

Cardiac catheterization. During this test the doctor uses a tiny catheter to measure the pressure in the chambers of your heart. The catheter would be put into a vein or artery and moved through your body until it reaches your heart. This can also determine if you have any blockage in the coronary arteries.

What to do if you have a heart attack?

Call emergency medical responders immediately if you are having a heart attack. If you are having a heart attack, every minute counts. Some of the symptoms of an abnormal heart murmur are similar to those of a heart attack. If you are unsure, you should err on the side of caution and call emergency medical responders .

How long does an echocardiogram last?

It can help the doctor view the size and shape of the heart and determine whether there are structural problems with the valves. It can detect areas of the heart that aren’t contracting properly or receiving enough blood flow. During this test you would lie on a table while the doctor uses an ultrasound device against the skin of your chest. It lasts about 45 minutes and does not hurt.

What to do if your heart murmurs?

Depending upon the cause of your heart murmur, your doctor may suggest one or more of the following lifestyle changes: exercising, reducing salt intake, limiting alcohol, quitting smoking or losing weight.

What is the procedure to repair a tricuspid valve?

Annuloplasty is an option if the base of a mitral or tricuspid valve becomes enlarged, dilated, or damaged. This procedure is performed to strengthen the ring of tissue (called the annulus) by sewing in an O- or C-shaped annuloplasty ring at the valve base.

What is a TAVR catheter?

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) uses a catheter to replace the aortic valve in select patients with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve opening) who can’t tolerate, or are high-risk candidates for, open heart surgery.

What is the difference between a bioprosthetic and mechanical heart valve?

The advantage to a bioprosthetic valve is that it does not contain metal and therefore blood thinners are not needed long term. Mechanical valves contain substances that are more likely to form blood clots and require the use of blood thinners. The advantage, however, is that they last for many years.

What is balloon valvuloplasty?

Balloon valvuloplasty is used to treat narrowed or stiff (stenotic) heart valves. During this procedure a catheter (long, thin, flexible tube) is directed through a vein in the groin to the heart valve that needs to be opened. A large balloon at the tip of the catheter is inflated to open the valve. The balloon is then deflated and removed.

Can heart valve repair be done?

Heart Valve Repair may be an option for some patients. This is more common with the mitral valve and can be done through minimally invasive, robotically guided procedures that decrease complications while allowing for a quicker recovery.

What doctor will evaluate a heart murmur?

At University of Utah Health, a heart team that includes a cardiologist and a cardiothoracic surgeon will evaluate your heart murmur.

How long does it take for a heart murmur to go away?

In fact, many heart murmurs go away on their own over a few months or years. Whether you need treatment for your heart murmur will depend on what type of murmur you have. Even if you need treatment, your heart doctor (cardiologist) will work with you to decide what treatment is best and least invasive.

What Is a Heart Murmur?

A heart murmur is when your heart makes an unusual sound as blood is flowing through your heart.

Do Heart Murmurs Need Surgery?

Not all heart murmurs need to be treated with surgery. Instead, your treatment will depend on what’s causing your heart murmur in the first place.

What does it mean when your mitral valve is narrowed?

Mitral stenosis: this is when your mitral valve becomes narrowed, making it harder for blood to flow from your left atrium to your left ventricle.

What percentage of people have a heart murmur?

Heart murmurs are very common: 10 percent of adults will have a heart murmur. 40—45 percent of children have a heart murmur. Most children with murmurs have a congenital heart murmur, meaning they were born with it.

What is the term for an infection in the heart's valves and inner lining?

Endocarditis is an infection in the heart’s valves and inner lining. This infection can seriously damage your heart's valves.

How do you know if you have a heart murmur?

An abnormal heart murmur may cause the following signs and symptoms, depending on the cause of the murmur: Skin that appears blue, especially on your fingertips and lips. Swelling or sudden weight gain. Shortness of breath.

Why do older people have abnormal heart murmurs?

In older children and adults, causes of abnormal heart murmurs include infections and conditions that damage the structures of the heart. For example:

What is a shunt in the heart?

Cardiac shunts. Cardiac shunts occur when there's an abnormal blood flow between the heart chambers or blood vessels , which may lead to a heart murmur.

What is the sound of a heart murmur?

Heart murmurs are sounds — such as whooshing or swishing — made by turbulent blood in or near your heart. Your doctor can hear these sounds with a stethoscope. A normal heartbeat makes two sounds like "lubb-dupp" (sometimes described as "lub-DUP") when your heart valves are closing.

Why do children murmur?

In children, abnormal murmurs are usually caused by structural problems of the heart (congenital heart defects). Common congenital defects that cause heart murmurs include: Holes in the heart. Known as septal defects, holes in the heart may or may not be serious, depending on the size of the hole and its location. Cardiac shunts.

Can a heart murmur go away?

While there's not much you can do to prevent a heart murmur, it is reassuring to know that heart murmurs are not a disease and are often harmless. For children, many murmurs go away on their own as children grow. For adults, murmurs may disappear as the underlying condition causing them improves.

Is a heart murmur a sign of heart disease?

An innocent heart murmur is not a sign of heart disease and doesn't need treatment. Abnormal heart murmurs require follow-up testing to determine the cause. Treatment is directed at the cause of your abnormal heart murmur.

How do doctors check for heart murmurs?

A doctor may check for a heart murmur with a stethoscope. Heart murmurs result from vibrations, or turbulence, that blood causes when it flows through the heart. It produces sounds that doctors can hear through a stethoscope. When heart valves open and close, they make a “valve sound.”. However, valves that do not open or close normally can cause ...

What is a heart murmur?

Outlook. A heart murmur is an abnormal sound that the blood makes as it moves through the heart. Doctors can hear a heart murmur through a stethoscope. Murmurs can be benign or indicate a serious heart condition. Research estimates that heart murmurs affect up to 72%.

What causes abnormal heart murmurs in adults?

Abnormal heart murmurs in adults are usually associated with heart valve disease. They may have links with:

What causes a murmur to be high?

People can categorize murmurs according to what causes them: Flow murmurs: Exercise, pregnancy, and anemia can all cause a high blood flow, as can hyperthyroidism, fever, and rapid growth spurts. This could lead to an innocent murmur. Valve disease-related murmurs: Problems with a valve in the heart, such as aortic stenosis or a bicuspid aortic ...

What is the sound of a heart valve?

When heart valves open and close, they make a “valve sound.”. However, valves that do not open or close normally can cause blood to leak backward or prevent blood from flowing forward, which can create a sound called a murmur. Blood that moves very quickly through the heart can also create a type of murmur called a “flow murmur.”.

What is abnormal heart murmur?

Abnormal heart murmurs, meanwhile, occur where an underlying heart condition is causing the symptom. A person with a heart murmur should seek professional evaluation by a doctor to determine if their murmur is innocent or needs additional testing and monitoring.

How many children have heart murmurs?

Research estimates that heart murmurs affect up to 72% of children. Often, the murmur will go away with age. However, some people may live with a heart murmur into adulthood.

What causes a heart murmur?

Heart murmurs may be caused by a number of factors or diseases, including: Defective heart valves. Holes in the walls of your heart (atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect) Pregnancy (increased blood volume) Fever. Anemia (a decrease in the red cells in the blood)

What is a systolic murmur?

Systolic murmur. This happens during a heart muscle contraction. Systolic murmurs are divided into ejection murmurs (due to blood flow through a narrowed vessel or irregular valve) and regurgitant murmurs (backward blood flow into one of the chambers of the heart). Diastolic murmur.

What are the different types of murmurs?

All murmurs are analyzed for location, pitch, frequency, and duration. They are also graded according to how loud they are (on a scale of 1 to 6 with 1 being very faint and 6 being very loud).