The feeling of being aware of your heart beating is described as a palpitation. Palpitations can range from simply being aware of your heart's activity to the sensation of it beating faster and harder than usual. It can sometimes feel like your heart is missing beats or you have a heart flutter.
Heart palpitations (pal-pih-TAY-shuns) are feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart. Stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, a medical condition can trigger them. Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless.
If you've ever suddenly become aware of your heartbeat, you're not alone. It's a common complaint healthcare professionals hear from their patients. The sensation of being aware of your heartbeat is called heart palpitations. It may feel like your heart is beating fast, fluttering, or skipping a beat.
Cardiophobia is defined as an anxiety disorder of persons characterized by repeated complaints of chest pain, heart palpitations, and other somatic sensations accompanied by fears of having a heart attack and of dying.
The most common sign of an unhealthy heart is chest or heart pain. This may come on in the form of tightness, pressure, or pain and will typically last longer than a couple of minutes.
Most of the time, heart palpitations are harmless and will go away on their own. In these cases, they do not require treatment. However, heart palpitations can sometimes be a sign of a more serious heart condition.
The feeling that your heart is racing when lying down is commonly known as heart palpitations. This is a common occurrence for many people and often does not indicate a serious problem.
Sustained heart palpitations lasting more than 30 seconds are considered a medical emergency. They could indicate pre-existing heart diseases such as coronary artery disease or heart valve disorders.
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.
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.
When should I speak to my GP? If you're experiencing what feels like frequent or prolonged episodes of palpitations, or you're also having symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness when you have these episodes, it's a good idea to talk to your GP.
Try relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga or deep breathing. Avoid stimulants. Caffeine, nicotine, some cold medicines and energy drinks can make the heart beat too fast or irregularly. Avoid illegal drugs.
In general, the consensus seems to be that sleeping on your left side is better for most people. It may reduce GERD and sleep apnea more than sleeping on your right side. The only exception is that people with congestive heart failure or heart palpitations might benefit from sleeping on their right sides.
Heart palpitations at night usually aren't harmful. Many factors, including alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, stress or hormones can cause them. Less often, they result from a health condition such as heart disease or a thyroid disorder.
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.
How to detect palpitations. You may be able to feel when you're having a palpitation, but they can be detected on an electrocardiogram (EKG), a test that shows the electrical activity of your heart.
Exercise regularly
Exercise can improve overall cardiovascular health and help restore the heart's natural rhythm. It can also help reduce stress and anxiety. Cardiovascular exercise helps strengthen the heart, which can prevent or reduce palpitations.
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.
When you feel anxious, the body responds with physical symptoms, such as shaking, sweaty palms, or an upset stomach. Sometimes, it may even feel like your heart is fluttering, pounding, racing, or skipping a beat – a condition known as heart palpitations.
To make sure your palpitations are not a sign of something more serious, let your healthcare provider know if: You experience new or different palpitations. Your palpitations are very frequent (more than 6 per minute or in groups of 3 or more)
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 arrhythmias may feel like a fluttering or racing heart and may be harmless. However, some heart arrhythmias may cause bothersome — sometimes even life-threatening — signs and symptoms. However, sometimes it's normal for a person to have a fast or slow heart rate.
These heart palpitations may feel like they cause anxiety rather than follow it. If you have palpitations along with chest pain, trouble breathing, dizziness or confusion, seek medical help right away.