Is the heart murmur severe?
The vast majority of heart murmurs are not serious and occur without any disease, called physiological or innocent, which occurs due to the natural turbulence of the blood as it passes through the heart.
- This type of breathing is very common in infants and children.
- And occurs because the structures of the heart are still developing and can be disproportionate.
- So most of them disappear over the years.
- With growth.
However, when the heart murmur is accompanied by certain symptoms, such as shortness of breath, difficulty eating, palpitations or purple mouth and hands, it can be caused by a disease, and in these cases it is necessary to consult a cardiologist to find the cause. , using tests such as echocardiography, and begin treatment. Sometimes these cases can only be identified as adults during routine checkups, for example.
Learn more about identifying heart murmur symptoms
There are 6 main types of heart murmur, which vary depending on their intensity:
In general, the higher the intensity and degree of breathing, the higher the risk of heart problems, in such cases, your doctor may order several tests to evaluate your heart’s functioning and determine if there are any changes that require treatment.
Possible causes of heart murmur include physiological or innocent changes, where there is no disease and may disappear over time, especially in children; or congenital heart defects, in which the heart does not develop properly, with defects in its valves or muscles, such as Down syndrome, congenital rubella or alcoholism in the mother, for example.
Other examples of congenital diseases include persistence of the arterial canal, mitral valve prolapse, valve stenosis, ear communication, ventricular communication, atrioventricular septum abnormalities and tetralogy of Fallot.
In premature babies, cases of heart murmur can also occur, since the child can be born without the full development of the heart, in these cases the treatment is also carried out depending on the type of change and the child’s symptoms.
In case of innocent breath, no treatment is necessary, only follow-up with the pediatrician, according to the instructions of the latter.
However, when the heart murmur is caused by heart disease, treatment needs to be initiated, which varies depending on its cause, and is guided by the cardiologist, so some of the options are:
Recovery from surgery is usually quick and easy, and only requires a few days of hospitalization until your pediatrician or cardiologist leaves home.
Rehabilitation with physical therapy may also be necessary, as well as returns with your doctor for re-evaluations. It’s best to know when heart murmur surgery is appropriate.