How Is a Heart Murmur Treated?

Innocent Heart Murmurs

Healthy children who have innocent heart murmurs don’t need treatment because they have normal hearts. If your child has an innocent murmur, alert his or her doctor during regular checkups.

Pregnant women who have innocent heart murmurs due to extra blood volume also don’t need treatment.

You may have an innocent heart 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 Heart Murmurs

Treatment for abnormal heart murmurs depends on the heart problems causing them. For example, treatment for a congenital heart defect depends on the type and severity of the defect. Treatment may include medicine or surgery. (For more information, see the Diseases and Conditions Index Congenital Heart Defects article.)

When an infection or disease causes a heart murmur, treatment depends on the type, amount, and severity of the heart damage. Treatments may include medicine or surgery.