If you’ve felt your heart beating really fast, fluttering, flip-flopping, or pounding in your chest, chances are you’ve experienced heart palpitations—and it probably (understandably!) made you feel a bit uneasy. This is your heart we’re talking about, after all. Show
“Heart palpitations” is a general term that can mean a lot of things, but it essentially comes down to being very aware of having an irregular heartbeat—and there’s a pretty wide range of causes for this unique group of sensations, according to experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine. As a result, it can be tough to say when you should or shouldn’t worry about heart palpitations. If you’re having symptoms of heart palpitations, you generally shouldn’t panic—they’re usually not a sign of something serious—but you shouldn’t dismiss them, either. In some situations, heart palpitations can be a signal that something is off with your heart, and that’s obviously not an organ you want to ignore. In other cases, you may just be feeling too much stress or gulping down too much coffee. Here’s when you should see your doctor. What are heart palpitations, exactly?“Generally, when we talk about palpitations, it means you’re aware of your heart beating, and it feels like it’s not normal,” Shephal Doshi, M.D., director of cardiac electrophysiology at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF. He explains that “palpitations” is a very subjective word because there’s no mathematical way of defining it as a certain number of beats per minute. In general, having palpitations is “an awareness of your heart beating, something you normally aren’t aware of,” Dr. Doshi says. It’s also possible to mistake normal heart activity for heart palpitations. “Some people are very attuned to their bodies, feel their hearts beating faster and think it’s a palpitation, but it’s still beating at a normal speed of up to 100 beats a minute,” Sanjiv Patel, M.D., a cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, tells SELF. What do heart palpitations feel like?If you ask four people with heart palpitations to describe them, you might get four varying answers. “When people say, ‘I have heart palpitations,’ they can mean so many different things that you have to tease out some details as to what exactly they feel,” Dr. Patel says. That means the experience really is subjective, Holly Andersen, M.D., attending cardiologist and director of education and outreach at the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells SELF. “People complain of palpitations when their heart ‘skips’ a beat or two,” she says. “In reality, what is happening is that your heart has an extra early beat and then there is a compensatory pause followed by an accentuated beat. You don’t feel the early beat—only the skip and then accentuated beat.” “Palpitations” is a term that’s also used to describe when someone’s heart starts racing for seemingly no reason. “Some people will describe a feeling like their heart is beating very quickly with an associated pounding in their chest,” Jennifer Haythe, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology, Center for Advanced Cardiac Care at Columbia and co-director of the Women’s Center for Cardiovascular Health, tells SELF. “Others may feel like their heart ‘flip-flops’ or sense an extra hard ‘thump’ in their chest.” Dr. Haythe says she’s even heard people describe palpitations as a “squirrely” feeling in their chest. What causes heart palpitations?Your heart beats because it has the very important job of sending oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to every part of your body, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). It also sends the carbon dioxide your body produces as a waste product to your lungs so you can expel it. When there’s a glitch in this system, you might experience a palpitation. So what exactly are heart palpitations? Heart palpitations are the sensation that your heart has skipped a beat or added an extra beat. It may feel like your heart is racing, pounding, or fluttering. You may become overly aware of your heartbeat. You may feel this sensation in your chest, neck, or throat. Your heart rhythm may change during the palpitations. In most cases, heart palpitations are harmless and resolve on their own without treatment. But in other cases, heart palpitations may be an indication of a more serious underlying condition. Heart palpations can have a wide range of causes that include strong emotions, medications, and lifestyle factors. In some cases, they can be caused by a medical condition affecting your heart or another part of your body. Heart palpitations are common. One study estimates that 16 percent of visits to a doctor are because of heart palpitations. They’re also the second most common reason that people visit a cardiologist — a doctor who specializes in the heart. Possible causes of heart palpitations include: Lifestyle triggers
Emotional or psychological triggers
Drugs and medications
Heart conditionsAlthough heart palpitations can be harmless, they can also be an indication of an underlying heart condition, such as:
Other medical conditions
The cause of heart palpitations can be very difficult to diagnose, especially if the palpitations don’t occur while you’re in the doctor’s office. To start, your doctor will conduct a thorough physical exam and will likely ask you questions about your:
If necessary, your doctor may refer you to a cardiologist. A cardiologist may order certain tests to help diagnose or rule out certain diseases or heart problems. These tests may include:
Treatment depends on the cause of your palpitations. Your doctor will need to address any underlying medical conditions. Sometimes, doctors aren’t able to find the cause. Heart palpations usually don’t require treatment unless your doctor finds they’re caused by an underlying condition. If your palpitations don’t have a medical cause, you may be able to reduce symptoms by:
If your doctor or cardiologist feels that treatment isn’t necessary, taking the following steps may help lower your risk of heart palpitations:
Heart palpitations are a common condition. Most of the time, they’re harmless and don’t require medical attention. However, in some cases, they can indicate a potentially serious condition. If you have an underlying heart condition, it’s important to talk with your doctor about your heart palpitations. If you’re not sure if you have a heart condition, but your heart palpitations happen often or seem to be lasting longer or occurring more frequently, be sure to visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis. How long is too long for heart palpitations?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.
When should I be concerned about my heart racing?Your palpitations are very frequent (more than 6 per minute or in groups of 3 or more) Your pulse is higher than 100 beats per minute (without other causes such as exercise or fever) You have risk factors for heart disease, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
Why can I feel my heart beat throughout my body?Feeling the heartbeat throughout the body can be pretty bothersome. But it should be kept in mind that they are generally not serious, and most of the time, they resolve on their own. They may occur due to stress, anxiety, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, pregnancy, etc.
Why is my heart beating so fast but I feel calm?Stress, exercise, or even too much alcohol or caffeine can cause your heart to beat faster than normal. But if your heart races a lot—or if you notice your heartbeat is often irregular—then you should see a doctor.
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Heart feels like its racing but heart rate is normal
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