Patients can be in atrial fibrillation for many years without harm, but some patients with very little symptoms may have too rapid and irregular a rhythm present with symptoms of heart failure. There may also be some increased risk of stroke because of blood clots that can form in association with atrial fibrillation.
Most of the time, heart palpitations are harmless and go away on their own. In some cases, however, there may be a medical reason behind them, called an arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm).
Many people live a normal life with palpitations, but some people may need some help to learn how to live with them. This may be talking therapies to help manage any anxiety the palpitations cause, or sometimes medication may be prescribed if the palpitations are interfering with you living a normal life.
Palpitations can last seconds, minutes or longer. You may feel this in your chest, neck, or throat. Palpitations can happen at anytime, even if you are resting or doing normal activities. Although they can be unpleasant, palpitations are common and, in most cases, harmless.
Stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, a medical condition can trigger them. Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless. Rarely, heart palpitations can be a symptom of a more serious heart condition, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), that might require treatment.
These sensations are called heart palpitations. For most people, heart palpitations are a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. Others have dozens of these heart flutters a day, sometimes so strong that they feel like a heart attack. Most palpitations are caused by a harmless hiccup in the heart's rhythm.
Many people are unaware of minor irregular heartbeats, and even completely healthy people have extra or skipped heartbeats once in a while. Palpitations are more common as you age. Usually, these occasional arrhythmias are nothing to worry about.
Call 911 (or your local emergency number) right away if heart palpitations won't stop or if you have these symptoms: Passing out. More intense pain, pressure or tightness in your chest, neck, jaw, arm(s) or upper back. Trouble breathing.
But sometimes people mistake heart palpitations for a more serious condition called atrial fibrillation, or AFib. AFib occurs when rapid electrical signals cause the heart's two upper chambers to contract very fast and irregularly.
High heart rate
If you're experiencing palpitations, Dr. Lee suggests checking your heart rate by feeling your pulse or using a smartwatch or other heart monitoring device. A heart rate that's higher than 110 beats per minute can be a sign of an arrhythmia and should be checked by a healthcare provider.
Heart palpitations are common and not usually a sign of anything serious. Common causes include: strenuous exercise. lack of sleep.
Anxiety is a common cause of heart palpitations and usually isn't something to worry about. However, it is normal for your heartbeat to speed up in stressful situations, sometimes palpitations may become more frequent, intense, unpredictable, or impact your general functioning and well-being.
You should contact your doctor if you experience heart palpitations frequently, for longer than a few seconds, or if they are accompanied by dizziness, loss of consciousness, chest or upper body pain, nausea, excessive or unusual sweating, and shortness of breath.
If they happen frequently or last for longer periods, it could be an indicator of a more serious heart condition like an irregular heartbeat, an overactive thyroid, or heart disease.
An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm, where the heart beats irregularly, too fast or too slowly. A palpitation is a short-lived feeling of your heart racing, fluttering, thumping or pounding in your chest. An occasional palpitation that does not affect your general health is not usually something to worry about.
Heart Palpitations and Anxiety. Heart palpitations due to anxiety feel like your heart is racing, fluttering, pounding or skipping a beat. Your heartbeat can increase in response to specific stressful situations. You may also have palpitations due to an anxiety disorder (excessive or persistent worry).
Distract Your Mind Remember that actively thinking about your heartbeat can trigger palpitations and/or make them worse and more pronounced.
Wearable ECGs, such as those found in smartwatches and mobile apps, have recently become popular among patients. These ECGs can be applied to manage patients with anxiety, as they have been used to detect, monitor, and reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders.
A normal ECG usually excludes major problems. However, if someone is suffering from intermittent palpitations, it suggests that there's an intermittent heart rhythm disorder that may not be picked up on an ECG when the patient feels perfectly well.
Red flags in palpitations
Acute dizziness could signify a serious arrhythmia, profound bradycardia, or atrioventricular (AV) heart block. Shortness of breath might be present if the patient suffers from anxiety, ACS or structural defects (such as atrial septal defect) but this is rare.
If you have heart palpitations with severe shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting, seek emergency medical attention. If your palpitations are brief and there are no other worrisome signs or symptoms, make an appointment to see your health care provider.
A flutter in your chest is what we call a heart palpitation, which is a heartbeat of which you're aware. Under normal circumstances, your heart beats about 100,000 times a day, and you're none the wiser as this organ quietly and efficiently delivers oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to your body.
The most obvious symptom of atrial fibrillation (AF) is palpitations caused by a fast and irregular heartbeat. A normal heart rate, when you are resting, should be between 60 and 100 beats a minute. In atrial fibrillation, it may be over 140 beats a minute.
A heart rate of over 100 beats per minute is called tachycardia. It can produce palpitations (a feeling in the chest that the heart is pounding or beating very fast), chest pain, dizziness, swooning and fainting if the heart beats too fast for the blood to circulate well.