Whētuki manawa Heart palpitations
Palpitations are when you feel your heartbeat is not normal. Palpitations are not usually a sign of a serious problem. Most often, they go away by themselves.
Causes of heart palpitations
There are several causes for palpitations. These include:
- a problem with the electrical circuit in your heart causing a heart rhythm problem such as atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or ectopic beats
- other heart conditions such a heart failure, heart valve disease or inherited heart disease
- lifestyle factors such as anxiety, stress, caffeine, smoking, alcohol and other drugs
- other conditions including pregnancy, fever, an overactive thyroid gland and some medicines.
Atrial fibrillation (internal link)
Heart murmurs and heart valve problems in adults (internal link)
Symptoms of heart palpitations
You may have a feeling that your heart is:
- pounding
- fluttering
- racing
- missing a beat
- adding a beat.
Diagnosing heart palpitations
Your healthcare provider will take a detailed history of your symptoms. They will likely ask you:
- how long they last
- how often you have them
- if anything else happens at the same time
- if there are any triggers such as exercise
- if there is a family history of heart problems or sudden early death.
They will check your pulse and blood pressure and listen to your heart.
You may need blood tests to check for a cause.
If you might have a heart rhythm problem, you may have an electrocardiogram (ECG) to show the electrical activity of your heart. Sometimes you will need to wear a Holter monitor, which shows your heart activity over 24 to 48 hours.
Treating heart palpitations
Most palpitations:
- are not serious
- do not need any treatment
- will stop by themselves.
If you have a heart problem causing your palpitations you may need medication or other treatments for this.
If there are lifestyle factors you can address, treating or changing these can help. These might include:
- anxiety
- stress
- how much caffeine you have
- smoking
- alcohol and drug taking.
If another health condition or medication is a cause, treating this or stopping the medication will help.