How Are Heart Murmurs Treated?

Innocent Murmurs

Healthy children with innocent murmurs do not need treatment because they have a normal heart. If your child has an innocent murmur, alert your pediatrician during regular checkups. Pregnant women with innocent murmurs due to increased blood volume also do not need treatment.

If you have an innocent 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 Murmurs

The treatment for heart problems that cause abnormal murmurs varies depending on the specific heart problem.

The treatment of congenital heart defects is based on the type and severity of the heart defect or defects causing the murmur. Treatment may include medicine or surgery. Children with congenital heart defects are treated by doctors who specialize in treating children's heart problems (pediatric cardiologists). See Congenital Heart Defects for more information.

The treatment of heart problems caused by infection or disease depends on the type and severity of the damage to the heart. The treatment may include medicine or surgery.