If your doctor thinks that palpitations are caused by an irregular heartbeat or other heart condition, tests might include: Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This quick and painless test measures the electrical activity of the heart. Sticky patches (electrodes) are placed on the chest and sometimes the arms and legs.
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.
It's normal if these moments of excitement make your heart flutter briefly. These flutters are called heart palpitations — when your heart beats faster than normal or it skips a few beats. You might also feel overly aware of your own heartbeat. Most of the time, heart palpitations are harmless and go away on their own.
The doctor may prescribe antiarrhythmic drugs, such as beta-blockers or non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker therapy. Beta-blockers slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure.
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.
Frequent palpitations can be caused by a wide variety of factors, many of which have little to do directly with the heart. Just because a heart test such as an echocardiogram comes back normal does not mean that you are imagining the palpitations. It just means that their cause lies outside the heart.
Palpitations might feel alarming but keep in mind that in most cases they aren't a sign of any problems with your heart. However, you should always get palpitation symptoms checked out with your GP or health professional. You may sometimes feel that your heart skips a beat or there is an extra beat.
See a GP if: You have heart palpitations and: they keep coming back or they're getting worse. they last longer than a few minutes.
Summary. 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.
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.
Most of the time, they're caused by stress and anxiety, or because you've had too much caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. They can also happen when you're pregnant. In rare cases, palpitations can be a sign of a more serious heart condition. If you have heart palpitations, see your doctor.
Blood Testing. Doctors can also order blood tests to diagnose heart arrhythmia. The tests reveal the levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in a patient's body, which play a critical role in the heart's electrical system.
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.
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.
Article Sections. Palpitations—sensations of a rapid or irregular heartbeat—are most often caused by cardiac arrhythmias or anxiety.
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.
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.
If heart palpitations don't go away within a few minutes or happen frequently, they may not be related to anxiety. Less commonly, heart palpitations result from a health condition or disorder, including: Heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), such as atrial fibrillation (Afib).
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.
Atrial flutter can come and go; it is then known as paroxysmal atrial flutter. More often, atrial flutter lasts for days to weeks and is known as persistent atrial flutter. With proper treatment, atrial flutter is rarely life-threatening.
Distract Your Mind Remember that actively thinking about your heartbeat can trigger palpitations and/or make them worse and more pronounced.
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.