Are you experiencing the sensation of a fast-beating, fluttering, or thumping heart? It can be a frightening experience for anyone. When your heartbeat accelerates unexpectedly (without warning), you will probably be wondering whether you are having heart palpitations.
Even though these sensations are extremely prevalent, they can also evoke unwanted thoughts in our minds. While palpitations can be annoying, they are normally harmless. As a cardiac electrophysiologist, I help you understand what causes heart palpitations, their typical triggers, and when to seek medical advice.
What Does a Heart Palpitation Feel Like?
What are heart palpitations? Why do they happen? These are the usual questions asked about this cardiac problem. Palpitations occur when a person is anxious/stressed—say, before a crucial presentation/event.
Palpitations feel like an “unexpected/sudden” acceleration in heartbeat and create a vast range of sensations, and they can evoke a whole combination of sensations that may leave you anxious and confused.
So, what does a heart palpitation feel like? You might feel the following sensations:
Heavy pounding/thudding beat in your chest
Rapid fluttering/butterfly-like sensation
Racing sensation causing a fast heartbeat and exhaustion
Somersault-type turnover/flip-floppy feeling in your chest
Skipped beats followed by a strong (forceful) thud
You will usually (often) feel these sensations in your chest, as well as in your neck and throat. It is natural to worry when your heart suddenly races without warning. However, palpitations can occur during activity, rest, or stress, and they're usually related to daily factors that you can control—let's unpack them next.
What are the common triggers for heart palpitations?
Most heart palpitations are the result of daily activities and emotional reactions/responses, and not critical conditions of the heart. Understanding and identifying these triggers helps you have/gain more control over these unsettling, alarming feelings.
Let's explore the most frequent culprits:
Intense emotional reactions—stress, anxiety, and panic attacks—are marked by adrenaline that tends to directly increase the heart rate.
Normal (common) stimulants—like caffeine, smoking, and alcohol—can cause the heart to race because of their physiological effects.
Physical strains—like overexertion, dehydration, and sleep disorders—can also impact your heart rate temporarily.
Other causes—like having a cold, asthma, and some medications for hormonal changes—can also lead to a sudden surge in heart rate.
So, what are the proactive steps you can take to manage these sensations? Let’s unpack:
Focus on staying well-hydrated, especially after hot flashes, and opt for drinks rich in electrolytes.
Explore new stress-management techniques, such as mindfulness or gentle yoga, and try simple vagal manoeuvres like deep breathing to regulate your heart rate and mitigate your sensitivity to stress.
Maintain a simple journal to track when palpitations occur, noting potential triggers like your diet, stress levels, or sleep quality.
This monitoring establishes definite links between certain triggers and your symptoms. Although there are many factors to take into account, hormonal changes (fluctuations) also contribute a great deal, especially for women going through life-stage changes—our next focus.
Women in their 40s and 50s often notice their hearts racing unexpectedly because of shifting hormones during perimenopause and menopause. When your hormones fluctuate, they can mess with your body's standard patterns.
But how exactly do these changes affect your heart? Let’s break it down.
Declining Oestrogen: Oestrogen helps regulate the heart rhythm, and when levels decrease, you may experience what feels like erratic heartbeats.
Heightened Surge of Adrenaline: These hormonal changes cause your body to release more catecholamines (adrenaline), which stimulate your heart, resulting in racing or fluttering sensations.
Sleep Disruptions: Night sweats or insomnia often leave you overtired, which can amplify your perception of heartbeats and increase your awareness of palpitations.
Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalance: During hot flashes, dehydration and the depletion of essential electrolytes, such as potassium and magnesium, occur, which are vital to regular heart function and may lead to irregular heartbeats.
Even more interesting is that these hormonal shifts can make you more sensitive to things like stress and caffeine, which you handle properly. For example, your normal morning coffee or the pressure of everyday work that never bothered you could suddenly start triggering palpitations.
Detection of these hormonal connections can make your brain function more easily in many episodes, but it is still important to know the difference between these common fluctuations and symptoms that require a doctor's attention, which we’ll explore next.
When should I be worried about heart palpitations?
While most heart palpitations are harmless and linked to everyday triggers, it remains vital to recognise specific warning signs that could indicate severe underlying conditions because ignoring these may lead to complications like fainting, stroke, or heart failure.
Consult your doctor “right away” if palpitations occur alongside any of these symptoms:
Unexplained sweating
Extreme lightheadedness
Severe shortness of breath
Fainting/near-fainting spells
Chest discomfort/pain
Confusion
Scheduled for immediate assessment, palpitations that come along with such symptoms give confidence and reduce health risks.
What Tests Are Done To Diagnose The Cause Of Palpitations?
Your doctor will first suggest an electrocardiogram, or ECG, to detect any irregularities/abnormalities in your heart's electrical signals.
And what if the ECG doesn't capture any irregular activity during your visit? In such a case, your doctor might suggest the use of a Holter monitor for a longer period. This heart monitoring device will provide a much longer recording of your actual rhythm patterns.
These diagnostic methods are vitally significant in finding out treatable diseases/in eliminating dangerous ones, permitting in either case the replacement of uncertainty with a clear, definite plan for your healthcare.
In identifying these red flags and becoming familiar with the “straightforward” (simple) evaluation techniques, you take the critical first step towards heart health management and close the gap between worry and informed action.
Take Control of Your Heart Health With the Right Care
Heart palpitations can be concerning, but in most cases, they are harmless and will subside without much medication. The best you can do when experiencing heart palpitations is to monitor the symptoms and consult your doctor to determine the causes and further course of treatment.
Have questions regarding heart palpitations? Dr. Karthigesan Heart Rhythm Clinic, Chennai, is here to provide expert answers and personalised care. Contact us today to understand and manage your heart health with confidence.
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Dr. Karthigesan
Dr Karthigesan A.M is an Electrophysiologist in Chennai, and a Senior Consultant Cardiologist, practising at the renowned Apollo Hospital in Chennai. He also conducts frequent consultations at Apollo's branches in Madurai, Trichy, and Guwahati. He holds an international certification in Cardiac Electrophysiology, making him an expert in his field. Read More
