10 Heart Palpitations Symptoms
Article Sources
- 1. Staff, Mayo Clinic. 'Heart Palpitations.' _Mayo Clinic_, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Apr. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-palpitations/symptoms-causes/syc-20373196.
- 2. Staff, Mayo Clinic. 'Bradycardia.' _Mayo Clinic_, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 13 Nov. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bradycardia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355474.
- 3. Editorial Staff, American Heart Association. 'Syncope (Fainting).' _Www.heart.org_, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/symptoms-diagnosis--monitoring-of-arrhythmia/syncope-fainting.
- 4. Heyden, Steven J. 'Why Do People Sweat When Nervous? 6 Ways to Stop It.' _Aurora Health Care_, 30 Jan. 2018, www.aurorahealthcare.org/patients-visitors/blog/why-do-people-sweat-when-nervous-6-ways-to-stop-it.
If you’ve ever experienced a fluttering in your chest followed by a skipped heartbeat, you’ve experienced heart palpitations. Some people describe it as feeling like they have butterflies in their chest, and the sensation can travel into your throat or neck. Palpitations are frightening for anyone who hasn’t experienced these hiccups of the heart, making it important to understand the symptoms and when to call a doctor.1Staff, Mayo Clinic. ‘Heart Palpitations.’ Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 16 Apr. 2020, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-palpitations/symptoms-causes/syc-20373196.
Occasional heart palpitations typically resolve without treatment and aren’t serious unless they become frequent or bothersome. Read about these 10 symptoms of heart palpitations and their causes.
1. A Heightened Awareness of Your Heart
Any heart palpitation, whether a faster or slower beat or a flip-flop feeling, indicates a change in the heart’s regular function. Sometimes, it may feel like your heart is beating harder or louder, causing you to place your hand on your chest to feel the sensation. This experience generates a heightened awareness of your heart and signals something is not quite right.
Along with these unexpected heart palpitations, some people feel a rush of concern or fear, especially when they aren’t sure what’s happening. A heart palpitation only lasts for a second or so, and you may experience one or two to three continuous flutters.
2. Pauses and Jolts
Premature contractions of the upper chamber of the heart (atria), cause the atria to pause to regain the proper rhythm. Once the irregular beat happens, the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) contract harder to push the extra blood out accumulated during the pause. That push feels like a jump or jolt as the ventricles use more force.
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are a sign the heart’s electrical system may not be working correctly. Causes may include being scared, dehydrated or having too much caffeine
3. Fatigue, Confusion and Memory Problems
Bradycardia is a heart rhythm problem causing a slow heartbeat, and tachycardia causes a rapid heartbeat. The normal heartbeat for an adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). A slow or fast bpm reduces the amount of oxygen-rich blood circulating through your body, affecting the brain and organs.2Staff, Mayo Clinic. ‘Bradycardia.’ Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 13 Nov. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bradycardia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355474.
Palpitations are similar to arrhythmias, but not as dangerous. Bradycardia and tachycardia are arrhythmias that may cause symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, memory problems and fatigue. Unresolved arrhythmias warrant a visit to your doctor.
4. Shortness of Breath
Poor health habits lead to being generally unfit and often contribute to palpitations. Sudden exertion such as running or lifting heavy objects may trigger heart palpitations due to obesity or poor physical condition. While these extra or skipped heartbeats may be alarming, they are typically benign.
Palpitations often cause shortness of breath, and when they occur with sudden physical exercise, they exacerbate the inability to breathe correctly. If you’ve experienced heart palpitations with shortness of breath, it’s time to see your doctor.
5. Chest Pain
Heart palpitations are unpredictable, and often, there’s no particular cause. How frequently you experience heart palpitations could mean an underlying medical issue or the result of an emotional or physical cause. Symptoms can be harmless, or some may indicate a cardiac abnormality.
Chest pain can be confusing; it’s at times related to acid reflux, muscle strain or, for women, hormones. But chest pain with palpitations could be a sign of serious heart disease. When palpitations cause chest pain, see your doctor immediately or call 911.
6. Fainting
Heart palpitations may cause you to faint or pass out. This type of temporary loss of consciousness occurs when blood pressure is too low to pump enough blood to the brain. Fainting due to heart palpitations is also known as cardiac syncope. Arrhythmias including bradycardia and palpitations increase the risk of fainting.3Editorial Staff, American Heart Association. ‘Syncope (Fainting).’ Www.heart.org, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/symptoms-diagnosis–monitoring-of-arrhythmia/syncope-fainting.
The underlying reasons for palpitation-induced fainting may be explainable and benign, such as dehydration or an existing arrhythmia. It may also indicate underlying cardiac disease and requires a doctor’s diagnosis.
7. Lightheadedness
Causes of lightheadedness include conditions such as hyperventilating, panic attacks and dehydration. Additionally, when heart palpitations and arrhythmias induce a rapid or slow heart rate, the heart cannot pump effectively. Palpitations cause interruptions in heart rhythm, which reduces blood flow through the body.
This decrease in pumping causes very low blood pressure and reduces the amount of blood sent to the brain. If you begin to feel lightheaded and as if you may pass out, this sensation is presyncope, a precursor to syncope or fainting.
8. Dizziness
Depending on the reason for the heart palpitations, several symptoms may appear including dizziness. If palpitations cause enough discomfort to cause prolonged dizziness, a doctor should be consulted. Palpitations caused by anxiety, eating too much spicy food or strenuous exercise can cause a temporary dizzy feeling that resolves after rest.
When dizziness does not resolve after rest, it could point to a health issue with your heart. As with lightheadedness and fainting, the interruption of adequate blood to the brain lowers blood pressure causing dizziness.
9. Sweating
Palpitations triggered by anxiety or stress precipitate a rise in the fight or flight hormones adrenaline and cortisone. This rush of hormones hits fast, and the occurrence of palpitations typically worsens the reaction. Adrenaline and cortisone awaken the apocrine glands located in the groin and armpits, causing excessive sweat, referred to as stress sweat.4Heyden, Steven J. ‘Why Do People Sweat When Nervous? 6 Ways to Stop It.’ Aurora Health Care, 30 Jan. 2018, www.aurorahealthcare.org/patients-visitors/blog/why-do-people-sweat-when-nervous-6-ways-to-stop-it.
Stress sweat is 80% water and 20% protein and fat. Normal sweat is made of 99% water and 1% salt and fat. Stress sweat is often associated with palpitations.
10. General Unease and Anxiety
At times, people describe a feeling of unease and anxiety with palpitations. The sudden fluttering and heavy beating that may travel from your chest to your throat or neck sometimes cause dread or fear of a heart attack. These palpitations typically happen when consuming too much caffeine, alcohol or certain drugs.
The general anxiety of a foreign and unnerving feeling in your chest may cause additional panic, making the situation more stressful. If the palpitations persist, call your doctor right away.
