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Overview
What are heart palpitations?
Palpitations are feelings or sensations that your heart is pounding, skipping or racing. They can be felt in your chest, throat or neck. Palpitations are not serious most of the time. However, palpitations that are a result of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) may be more serious. The following conditions make you more likely to have an abnormal heart rhythm:
- Known heart disease at the time the palpitations begin
- Significant risk factors for heart disease
- An electrolyte abnormality in your blood, for example, a low potassium level (this is a heart disease)
Normally the heart beats regularly at 60 to 100 times per minute. The resting heart rate may drop below 60 beats per minute in people who exercise routinely or take medicines that slow the heart. A heart rate slower than 60 is called bradycardia. If your heart rate is fast (over 100 beats per minute), this is called tachycardia. An occasional extra heartbeat out of rhythm is known as extrasystole.
What are heart palpitations symptoms?
Symptoms may include:
- An unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat
- Feeling like your heart skipped or stopped beats
- Heart rhythm that may be normal or abnormal
What causes heart palpitations?
Palpitations can be caused by abnormal heart rhythms or extra heart beats. In turn, these can be caused by underlying heart problems including:
- Any heart or medical disorder that damages the heart muscle
- Abnormal blood flow to the heart due to coronary artery disease
- Abnormal heart valves
- Low level of oxygen in your blood, either due to heart problems or severe lung disease.
- Certain medicines, including those used to treat asthma, high blood pressure or heart conditions
- Abnormal level of electrolytes or other important hormones, such as potassium and thyroid.
Heart palpitations that are not a result of underlying heart problems can be due to:
- Anxiety, stress, panic attack or fear
- Caffeine intake
- Nicotine intake
- Cocaine, methamphetamine or other stimulant drugs
- Decongestant medications, such as phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine
- Diet pills
- Exercise
- Fever
How doctors diagnose heart palpitations
If your provider finds you have an abnormal heart rhythm, other tests may be done:
- Holter monitor: This device records your heart’s activity for at least 24 hours but can be worn for up to a month to capture irregularities over time.
- Echocardiogram: A safe and non-invasive method that uses sound waves to examine at the structure and function of the heart and all its major components in detail. It is effective in identifying underlying heart disease that may be causing palpitations.
- Coronary angiography: An invasive procedure that uses small catheters to visualize the heart’s arteries and pumping function. It is typically performed if blood flow issues to the heart are suspected. If blockages are found and believed to be causing palpitations or arrhythmias, they can often be treated with angioplasty and stents, which are described separately
- Electrophysiology study (EPS): Another invasive procedure, EPS uses small catheters and electrical stimuli to assess the heart’s electrical system. During the same procedure, any detected abnormalities can be treated directly using the same catheter-based system.
How to treat heart palpitations
Things you can do at home to limit palpitations include:
- Get regular exercise.
- Do not smoke.
- Lower your intake of caffeine and nicotine. This will often reduce heart palpitations.
- Learn to reduce stress and anxiety. This can help prevent palpitations and help you better manage them when they occur.
- Try deep relaxation or breathing exercises.
- Practice yoga, meditation or tai chi.
Once a serious cause has been ruled out by your provider, try not to pay close attention to heart palpitations. This may cause stress. However, contact your provider if you notice a sudden increase or a change in them. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number if you have:
- Loss of alertness (consciousness)
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Unusual sweating
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
Call your provider right away if:
- You often feel extra heartbeats (more than 6 per minute or coming in groups of 3 or more).
- You have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure.
- You have new or different heart palpitations.
- Your pulse is more than 100 beats per minute (without exercise, anxiety or fever).
- You have related symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling faint or loss of consciousness.
Treatment for heart palpitations near you
Cardiology services at Ballad Health
Our extensive network of highly trained cardiologists, surgeons and advanced practice providers are here to support you and help you navigate a heart-related diagnosis.
Learn more about heart and vascular services at Ballad Health.
CVA Heart Institute Learning Center
We understand that receiving a heart palpitation diagnosis can be overwhelming. Our goal is to alleviate your fears and help you to understand your condition.
We have an informational video library, education tools and heart-related FAQs so that you have the resources you need.
Heart care patient stories
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Read our patient stories
Our patients inspire us every day, and we’re honored when they trust us with their care. They tell their stories best, so we’ve gathered a few here to share with you.
Many of these patients received life-saving care for heart conditions when they weren’t experiencing any symptoms. These experiences have changed they way they look at their individual care and helped them see the importance of regular preventive screenings.