What Is Heart Murmur?

What is Heart Murmur?

A heart murmur is an abnormal sound such as swishing or a whistling that the doctor hears when he listens to your heart. These sounds can be heard with a stethoscope. Heart murmurs can be present at birth (congenital) or develop later in life.

Symptoms of Heart Murmur-

• Skin that appears blue, especially on your fingertips and lips
• Swelling
• Excessive sweating
• Pain in the chest
• Shortness of breath
• Feeling very tired
• Enlarged liver
• Enlarged neck veins
• Poor appetite
• Weight gain
• Failure to grow normally in infants
• Dizziness
• Fainting

Causes of Heart Murmur-

• Holes in the heart or cardiac shunts
• Heart valve abnormalities
• Valve calcification
• High blood pressure
• Rheumatic fever
• Pregnancy
• Thyrotoxicosis
• Anemia

Risk factors of Heart Murmur-

• Family history of a heart defect
• Illnesses during pregnancy
• Taking certain medications or illegal drugs during pregnancy

Diagnosis of Heart Murmur-

Heart murmurs are usually detected when your doctor listens to your heart using a stethoscope during a physical exam. The following tests will be done:

• Chest X-ray
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiogram
• Cardiac catheterization
• CT scan and MRI

Precautions & Prevention of Heart Murmur

There is not much you can do to prevent a heart murmur. Heart murmurs are not a disease and are often harmless. Your doctor or cardiologist can help you decide the best treatment.

Treatment of Heart Murmur-

• Homeopathic Treatment of Heart Murmur
• Acupuncture & Acupressure Treatment of Heart Murmur
• Psychotherapy Treatment of Heart Murmur
• Conventional / Allopathic Treatment of Heart Murmur
• Surgical Treatment of Heart Murmur
• Dietary & Herbal Treatment of Heart Murmur
• Other Treatment of Heart Murmur

Homeopathic Treatment of Heart Murmur-

Homeopathy improves cardiac function. It treats the person as a whole. Treatment is constitutional. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. It balances the energy system, improves immunity and body functions. It naturally cures the root cause of disorder. Some of the homeopathic medicines for treatment of heart murmur are:

• Cactus
• Collin
• Digitalis
• Ferrum
• Kalmia
• Naja
• Spigelia 

Acupuncture & Acupressure Treatment of Heart Murmur-

Acupuncture dramatically reduces the pressure on the heart. It regulates involuntary movements such as heartbeat and blood pressure.

Conventional / Allopathic Treatment of Heart Murmur-

In the allopathic treatment of heart murmur, medications that prevent blood clots are prescribed such as aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin) or clopidogrel. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors lower your blood pressure. Water pills are also taken which remove excess fluid from your body.

Surgical Treatment of Heart Murmur

The Surgical treatment for heart murmur is an open- heart surgery. But sometimes the cause of the heart murmur is treated by inserting a catheter to treat your condition (cardiac catheterization). Examples of procedures include:

• Patching a hole in your heart
• Fixing or replacing a valve
• Rebuilding a blood vessel
• Widening a blood vessel that’s too narrow by inserting a mesh tube called a stent