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What It Means

What Are Palpitations?

Palpitations are the feeling of being unusually aware of your heartbeat. You may notice fluttering, pounding, racing, or skipped beats. Palpitations can happen even when your heart rhythm is normal, so the sensation alone does not identify a specific heart problem.

What do heart palpitations feel like?

You may feel a heart palpitation in your chest, throat, or neck. Episodes can occur at rest, after activity, at night, or when lying down. Emotional stress, physical exertion, illness, or other triggers can make your heartbeat more noticeable, but not every episode is dangerous.

Emergency Warning Signs

When Palpitations May Be an Emergency

Get urgent help

Do not ignore these symptoms

Seek emergency medical help if palpitations occur with chest pain or pressure, severe shortness of breath, fainting or near-fainting, severe dizziness, confusion, or a heartbeat that remains very fast or irregular. This is especially important if you have known heart disease.

  • Do not drive yourself if you feel faint, confused, or seriously unwell.
  • Use local emergency services for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.

Possible Causes

Possible Causes of Palpitations

Palpitations have many possible causes, and the sensation by itself cannot show which cause is responsible. Some triggers are temporary and harmless, while others need assessment or treatment.

  • Stress, anxiety, panic, or strong emotions.
  • Exercise, lack of sleep, dehydration, fever, or illness.
  • Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, energy drinks, or recreational drugs.
  • Some medicines, including certain decongestants, asthma medicines, and stimulant medicines.
  • Hormonal changes, low blood sugar, anemia, or an overactive thyroid.
  • Abnormal heart rhythms or other heart conditions.

Palpitations after eating, at night, or when lying down may reflect a trigger or increased awareness of a normal heartbeat. Recurrent episodes, including heart palpitations at night, should be assessed if they are unexplained, troublesome, or becoming more frequent.

Duration Triage Table

What Palpitations May Mean by Duration

Brief, occasional episodes are often linked to triggers, while frequent, prolonged, or worsening palpitations need medical review. Duration can help describe a pattern, but it cannot replace assessment of accompanying symptoms.

PatternWhat it may suggestWhat to do
Brief and occasionalMay be related to stress, stimulants, exertion, or heightened awareness of a normal heartbeat.Note possible triggers and arrange care if episodes recur or are troubling.
Lasting minutes to hours or recurring over daysMay reflect an ongoing trigger, medication effect, or intermittent rhythm problem.Contact a clinician for assessment, especially if the pattern is new or becoming more frequent.
Persistent, worsening, or associated with other symptomsCould indicate a significant heart-rhythm or medical problem.Seek urgent medical advice, or emergency help if red-flag symptoms are present.

Relief Tips

How to Reduce or Stop Palpitations

During a brief episode, sit down and breathe slowly. Drink water if dehydration may be involved, unless a clinician has restricted your fluids. While symptoms are being evaluated, avoid or reduce caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, energy drinks, and recreational stimulants.

  • Try slow, steady breathing and rest during a brief episode.
  • Drink water if you may be dehydrated, unless a clinician has restricted your fluids.
  • Reduce caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, energy drinks, and recreational stimulants.
  • Prioritize regular sleep and meals.
  • Keep a record of when episodes occur, how long they last, and what symptoms accompany them.
  • Do not stop prescribed medicines without medical advice.

When to See a Doctor

When to See a Doctor About Palpitations

Arrange a medical appointment for new, recurrent, prolonged, worsening, or unexplained palpitations. You should also seek advice if you have a personal or family history of heart disease or heart-rhythm problems.

What happens during an evaluation?

A clinician may ask when the episodes occur, how long they last, what triggers them, and which medicines or substances you use. They may review your medical history, examine you, and perform an electrocardiogram (ECG). Depending on the pattern, longer heart-rhythm monitoring or blood tests may also be needed.

Diseases & Conditions

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