PALPITATIONS

Most people are never aware of their heart beating. When the heartbeat is felt, it may be pounding, racing, skipping, or fluttering. Irregular or rapid beats are known as palpitations. These are additional or dropped heart beats. Most palpitations last a short time and are not a result of heart damage if there is no underlying heart problem.

Seek medical care if any of the following symptoms exist with palpitations:

sweating
shortness of breath
nausea or vomiting
pain in the chest, arm, back, or jaw or
feeling dizzy or lightheaded

Palpitations can be scary, even when the heart is healthy. Causes include:

anxiety (the most common cause)
excessive consumption of caffeine products such as colas, coffee, chocolate, tea, or other stimulants such as alcohol, cocaine, or amphetamine
drug side effects
exercising at high elevations or over-exercising anywhere
smoking
some heart or blood pressure medications
low blood sugar
medical disorders such as hyperthyroidism or heart conditions
premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or
a lack of certain vitamins such as thiamin

Palpitations are a symptom, not a disease. It is important to determine their cause. A 24-hour heart monitor may be worn to find out if a heart condition is the cause. Once that is excluded, self-care activities may be helpful in avoiding palpitations. These include:

stop smoking
decrease or stop drinking alcoholic and caffeinated beverages
stop taking drugs that may cause palpitations and
stress reduction programs

Follow up with your healthcare provider if you have palpitations that worry you.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File SYMP5183.rf2 VRS# 6154 Data Version 7.0