Search for any health
topic on HealthMash:
 | ||
What is heart palpitations?
Often the cause of your heart palpitations can't be found. It's thought that common causes of heart palpitations include: Strong emotional responses, such as stress or anxiety; Strenuous exercise; Caffeine; Nicotine; Fever; Hormone changes associated with menstruation, pregnancy or menopause; Taking cold and cough medications that contain pseudoephedrine, a stimulant; Taking some asthma inhaler medications that contain stimulants
Read more on www.mayoclinic.com
Explore and Discover
Health Concerns
» anemia
Tests and Treatments
» exercise
Drugs and Substances
» warfarin
heart palpitations information from trusted sources:
Heart palpitations
Palpitations are heartbeat sensations that feel like your heart is pounding or racing. You may simply have an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat, or may feel skipped or stopped beats. The heart's rhythm may be normal or abnormal. Palpitations can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. See also: Arrhythmia Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Heart palpitations
Heart palpitations (pal-pih-TA-shuns) are the feelings of having rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeats. Heart palpitations can be triggered by stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, an underlying medical condition. Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Palpitations
The heart is a two stage electrical pump. The upper chambers of the heart, the atria, (single=atrium) collect blood from the body and pump it into the lower chambers, or ventricles. There is a little delay for the ventricles to fill, and then they pump the blood back to the body. For this to happen in a coordinated fashion, the heart has its own electrical system Read more on
www.emedicinehealth.com
Palpitations
Palpitations (pal-pi-TAY-shuns) are pounding or racing feelings in your heart. You may become suddenly aware of your heartbeat, or feel that your heartbeat is not normal. You may feel skipped beats (pauses), extra beats, a "flip-flopping" sensation, or a flutter in your chest. Read more on
www.pdrhealth.com
Cardiac Risk
This is a group of tests and health factors that have been proven to indicate your chance of having a cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke. They have been refined to indicate the degree of risk: slight, moderate, or high. Read more on
www.labtestsonline.org
Congestive Heart Failure
The symptoms of congestive heart failure are often not noticeable at first, as they may be put down to something else. Read more on
www.nhs.uk
Palpitation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nearly everyone experiences an occasional awareness of their heart beating, but when it occurs frequently, it can indicate a problem. Palpitations may be ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
Cardiac Palpitations -- What Are Heart Palpitations?
When your heartbeat feels unusually strong, or odd, it's known as a palpitation. Is it serious? Read more on
heartdisease.about.com
Palpitations Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment on ...
Mar 19, 2011 ... Read more about heart palpitations and thyroid disease » ... Some persons with palpitations have no heart disease or abnormal heart rhythms ... Read more on
www.medicinenet.com
Arrhythmia: Heart Palpitations
Heart doctors - Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute is a leader in the treatment of heart problems, including heart murmurs and heart palpitations. Read more on
my.clevelandclinic.org
Contents
Complications
Unless your heart palpitations are a sign of an underlying heart condition, there's little risk of complications.
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Considerations
Normally the heart beats 60 - 100 times per minute. In people who exercise routinely or take medications that slow the heart, the rate may drop below 55 beats per minute.
Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Home Care
Reducing your caffeine intake will often significantly reduce your heart palpitations. Reducing stress and anxiety can help lessen the frequency or intensity of your heart palpitations. Try breathing exercises or deep relaxation (a step-by-step process of tensing and then relaxing every muscle group in your body) when palpitations occur. Practicing yoga or tai chi on a regular basis can reduce the frequency of your palpitations.
Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Lifestyle and home remedies
The best way to treat palpitations at home is to avoid the triggers that may cause your symptoms. Some ways to avoid triggers include: Reduce stress or anxiety. You're more likely to have palpitations if you're anxious or during times of stress. You can try to reduce these feelings through relaxation techniques, exercise or talking with a friend or family member.; Avoid stimulants. Stimulants, which can make your heart beat quickly or irregularly, may cause palpitations. Stimulants can include caffeine, nicotine, some cold medicines, and herbal supplements, such as those in energy drinks.; Avoid illegal drugs. Illegal drugs, such as cocaine, can bring on heart palpitations.
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Medical advice
Call 911 if:You, or someone you are with, loses consciousness.; You have shortness of breath, chest pain, unusual sweating, dizziness, or lightheadedness.; You feel frequent extra heartbeats (more than 6 per minute or coming in groups of 3 or more).; You have 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).
Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Preparing for your appointment
If you have heart palpitations with severe shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting you should seek emergency medical attention immediately. If your palpitations are brief and there are no other worrisome signs or symptoms, make an appointment to see your doctor. Your doctor can help you find out if your palpitations are harmless or a symptom of a more serious heart condition.
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Prevention
Try to reduce stress and risk factors for heart disease:Don't smoke.; Eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet.; Exercise regularly.; Try stress management techniques such as yoga, tai chi, or meditation.; Make sure that your blood pressure and cholesterol are under control.
Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Risk factors
You may be at risk of developing palpitations if you: Are highly stressed; Have an anxiety disorder or regularly experience panic attacks; Are pregnant; Take medicines that contain stimulants, such as some cold or asthma medications; Have hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland); Have other heart problems, such as an arrhythmia, a heart defect or a previous heart attack
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Symptoms
Heart palpitation symptoms can feel like: Skipped heartbeats; Fluttering heartbeats; Heartbeats that are too fast; Heartbeats that are pumping harder than usual
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Tests and diagnosis
If your doctor thinks you have heart palpitations, he or she will first listen to your heart using a stethoscope to see if your heart's beating irregularly or too quickly. Your doctor may also look for signs of medical conditions that can cause heart palpitations, such as a swollen thyroid gland.
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
Treatments and drugs
Unless your doctor finds that you have an underlying heart condition, heart palpitations seldom require medications or surgery as treatment. Instead, your doctor may recommend ways for you to avoid the triggers that cause your palpitations.
Read more on
www.mayoclinic.com
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Normally the heart beats 60 - 100 times per minute. In people who exercise routinely or take medications that slow the heart, the rate may drop below 55 beats per minute.
Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov