Heart palpitations

It happens to a lot of people. They feel like their heart is skipping beats or pounding in their chest. In most cases, you don’t need to worry about heart palpitations.

However, anything connected with your heart is important to mention to your doctor at your annual checkup. They’ll be able to put your symptoms in context and let you know if you need to seek care from a heart specialist.

Should I worry about heart palpitations?

Most of the time, the answer is that you don’t need to worry about heart palpitations. If they don’t last long and happen infrequently, they aren’t likely to be a sign of a more serious condition.

If heart palpitations start to last longer, seem more intense or happen more frequently, it’s time to make an appointment with your primary care doctor. They’ll run tests and get you a referral if you need one.

Seek immediate medical attention or call 911 if you have these symptoms along with heart palpitations:

• Pain, pressure or tightness in your chest, arms or jaw
• Dizziness or feeling like you might faint
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Excessive sweating

What are heart palpitations?

Heart palpitations are a symptom of an abnormal heart rhythm. You may feel like your heart is beating too fast, pounding or racing. It may feel like your heart is fluttering or missing beats. The sensation may be in your chest or your neck.

What causes heart palpitations?

You may notice that heart palpitations are triggered after everyday activities like having a cup of coffee or exercising. Or your abnormal heart rhythm may happen for no particular reason. Here are some of the ordinary things that may trigger heart palpitations:

Eating rich foods, foods that are high in sugar or fat, or foods that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) may also be triggers for heart palpitations.

Physical conditions & heart palpitations

What causes heart palpitations may also be physical conditions such as these:

Some medications and stimulant drugs may also be related to an abnormal heart rhythm.

Heart conditions related to heart palpitations

Sometimes heart palpitations are related to more serious heart conditions. Mentioning your abnormal heart rhythm to your doctor may help them to diagnose conditions such as these:

• Abnormal heart valves: Heart valves that don’t open and close properly
• Arrhythmia: Irregular heart rate
• Cardiomyopathy: Enlarged, thick or stiff heart muscle
• Congestive heart failure: When your heart doesn’t pump blood well enough
• Coronary artery disease: When arteries in your heart become blocked
• Previous heart attack: When blood flow to your heart was completely blocked

Heart palpitations diagnosis

While you can mention heart palpitations to your doctor, chances are that they won’t happen while you’re in their office for an appointment. Keeping a record of how and when they happen will give your doctor a good idea of what they may need to check you for. Before your appointment, take some time to make notes about these things:

• What your heart palpitations feel like
• When you experience them
• How long they last
• How often they happen
• What you think might trigger them

Your doctor will ask other questions about your health history. They’ll perform a thorough physical exam and may order diagnostic tests to help come to an accurate diagnosis. Or they may determine that it would be best for you to see a heart specialist for testing.

Testing for heart palpitations

Some of the tests that may be ordered when you have heart palpitations are:

• Echocardiogram, which uses ultrasound to make images of how the parts of your heart function
• Electrocardiogram (EKG), to measure the electrical signals from your heart as it beats
• Event monitoring, which records heart rhythms for about a month
• Holter monitoring, to record electrical signals from your heart over a 24- to 48-hour period at home
• Implantable loop recorder, where a device is implanted to record your abnormal heart rhythm for weeks or months and send the data wirelessly to your doctor’s office
• Urine and blood tests, to check levels of blood cells, electrolytes and hormones

Learn more about the heart tests we may order to develop your diagnosis

Lifestyle changes for heart palpitations

We’ll usually start by suggesting lifestyle changes that may stop or decrease your heart palpitations such as:

• Quitting smoking
• Avoiding foods or activities that are triggers for you
• Avoiding caffeine and other stimulants
• Practicing relaxation exercises, meditation, yoga or tai chi

Medical treatments for heart conditions

If you’re diagnosed with an underlying heart condition that may be causing your heart palpitations, our experienced team will suggest suitable treatments. We’re nationally recognized for our treatment of arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). Our specialists diagnose, treat and monitor even the most complex heart conditions.

Depending on your underlying health and your diagnosis, your care might include:

• Cardiac ablation: Minimally invasive procedure that uses small energy pulses to remove heart tissue that is causing the abnormal heart rhythm
• Electrical cardioversion: Brief procedure that uses electrical pulses to restore a normal heart rate
• Hybrid ablation procedure: Innovative combination of two treatment options for atrial fibrillation (AFib) that restores a normal heart rhythm
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD): Implanted device that identifies abnormal heart rhythms and corrects them automatically
• Medications: Calcium-channel blockers or beta-blockers to help bring back your regular heart rhythm