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Alternative names Return to top
Heartbeat sensations; Irregular heartbeat; Palpitations; Heart pounding or racing; Racing heartDefinition Return to top
Palpitations are heartbeat sensations that feel like pounding or racing. You may simply have an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat. You 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.Considerations Return to top
Normally the heart beats between 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.
If your heart rate is very fast (over 100 beats per minute), this is called tachycardia. An unusually slow heart rate is called bradycardia, and an occasional extra heart beat is known as extrasystole.
Palpitations are often not serious. However, it depends on whether or not the sensations represent an abnormal heart rhythm (called an arrhythmia). You are more likely to have an abnormal heart rhythm if you have:
Common Causes Return to top
Heart palpitations can be caused by:
Home Care Return to top
Reducing stress and anxiety can help lessen 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) at the time of your heartbeat sensations. Also, consider practicing yoga or tai chi on a regular basis to reduce the frequency of your palpitations.
Keep a record of how often you have palpitations, when they happen, how long they last, your heart rate at the time of the palpitations, and what you are feeling at the time. This information may help your doctor figure out both their seriousness and the cause.
Once a serious cause has been ruled out by your doctor, try NOT to pay attention to heart palpitations, unless you notice a sudden increase or a change in them.
If you have never had heart palpitations before, bring them to the attention of your doctor. He or she will do a work up to determine the cause and whether they are treatable or not.
Call your health care provider if Return to top
Call 911 if:
Call your doctor right away if:
What to expect at your health care provider's office Return to top
Your doctor will take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and do an EKG. If you are in distress (meaning that you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or other concerning symptoms) and are in the emergency room, your cardiac rhythm will be monitored. An emergency intervention will be performed if necessary to restore normal cardiac rhythm.
If you do not have the symptoms at the time of your visit, the doctor will want to know what your pulse was at the time you felt the palpitations and whether or not the rhythm felt regular.
Medical history questions may include:
Prevention Return to top
Try to reduce stress and risk factors for heart disease:
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Page last updated: 28 October 2004 |