Heart murmur is a very common cardiac disorder that causes an extra sound to appear during the heartbeat, which usually indicates only turbulence in the blood flow, without any heart disease. In this case the change is known as an innocent heart murmur and does not need treatment.
In fact, the murmur is so common that many babies are born with this change and develop in a completely normal way, and may even heal naturally during the growth process. That way, many people may not even know they've ever had a heart murmur and some only discover it during routine exams, for example.
However, there are also rare cases in which the murmur can be a sign of heart disease and, therefore, if the doctor considers it necessary, several heart examinations can be done to confirm if there is any disease that needs to be treated.
Symptoms that may indicate heart disease
The only symptom of children or adults who have a benign heart murmur is the appearance of the extra sound during the physical evaluation made by the doctor with a stethoscope.
However, if other related symptoms appear, the murmur may be a sign of some disease or change in the structure of the heart. Some of the most common symptoms in these cases are:
- Purple fingertips, tongue and lips; Chest pains; Frequent coughing; Dizziness and fainting; Excessive tiredness; Excessive sweating; Heartbeat faster than usual; Generalized swelling in the body.
In children, there may also be a lack of appetite, weight loss and developmental problems, for example.
Thus, whenever heart murmur is suspected, it is important to consult a pediatrician, in the case of babies or children, or a cardiologist, in the case of adults, to confirm the diagnosis and identify whether there are any cardiac problems that need to be treated, or whether it is just an innocent breath.
How the treatment is done
Heart murmur, when it is considered innocent and without damage to health, does not need treatment and allows you to have an unrestricted life. This usually happens in children who do not have any other heart disease or in pregnant women, without causing harm to the pregnancy or the fetus.
However, when the heart murmur is caused by a disease, treatment can be done by taking medications and, in the most severe cases, by surgery to correct the problem. Know when the surgery should be done.
It is important to remember that other less serious illnesses, such as anemia, can also cause heart murmur. In such cases, anemia should be treated immediately so that the murmur disappears.
To identify whether it may be other illnesses, see 12 signs that may indicate heart problems.
