What are palpitations?
Palpitations are an uncomfortable awareness of your
heartbeat. You may feel that your heart is beating harder
or faster than usual or that it is skipping beats.
Palpitations are common and often normal. They are a
symptom, not a disease. However, it is important to
figure out what is causing them.
How do they occur?
Palpitations may be brought on by:
- exercise
- stress, anxiety, or fear
- smoking
- alcohol
- too much caffeine from coffee, colas, or tea
- anemia
- heart problems, such as mitral valve prolapse
- a thyroid problem
- medicines, such as diet pills and decongestants
- premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- a lack of certain vitamins or minerals
- low blood sugar, or an insulin reaction in diabetics.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may include:
- a thumping, pounding, or racing feeling in your chest or
neck
- fluttering sensation in your chest
- feeling of irregular beating or skipped beats.
How are they diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will review your symptoms and
examine you. You may have an electrocardiogram (ECG) or
other tests to help find the cause. You may be given a
heart monitor to wear at home. You may have an ultrasound
test of the heart called an echocardiogram or an exercise
stress test to see if heart problems are causing the
palpitations.
How are they treated?
Treatment of palpitations depends on the cause. Most often,
no treatment is needed because the heart is otherwise
normal. Drinking less coffee or alcohol or none at all may
be all you need to do. Trying to reduce the stress in your
life may help. Some medicines can decrease or prevent the
palpitations. Talk with your healthcare provider about
this.
How can I take care of myself?
- Take the medicine prescribed and follow your healthcare
provider's advice for lifestyle changes.
- Keep a record of when, how often, and for how long you
have each episode of palpitations. It is helpful for
your provider to know if the palpitations start suddenly
or gradually and whether they stop suddenly or gradually.
Note what you are doing and whether you notice any other
symptoms when you have palpitations.
- Don't smoke. Tell your provider if you need help
quitting.
- Don't drink alcohol. Talk with your provider if you have
problems with this.
- If you are overweight, talk to your provider about losing
weight.
- Exercise regularly, according to your provider's advice.
- Learn to relax. Reduce stress and anxiety in your life.
Call your healthcare provider right away if:
- You have palpitations that last a few hours.
- They occur often.
- You also have sweating; shortness of breath;
lightheadedness; nausea; vomiting; or pain in the chest,
arm, back, or jaw.
If the palpitations happen often, particularly if you also
have chest pain, breathlessness, or dizziness, you may have
another medical problem that your healthcare provider can
identify and treat.
This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new health information becomes available. The
information is intended to inform and educate and is not a
replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or
treatment by a healthcare professional.
Copyright © 2007 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved.