When Palpitations Are a Cause for Concern

Have you noticed your heartbeat skipping now and again, or seeming fast for a few minutes? Most people call these slight, momentary aberrations palpitations, and in most cases they’re nothing to worry about. 

At West Houston Heart Center in Houston, Texas, Dr. Humayun Naqvi and his team offer various forms of testing to help rule out conditions like arrhythmia. We can let you know if your palpitations should be a cause for concern or not.

Palpitation basics

Heart palpitations are a noticeable but sporadic and largely non-dangerous change in your normal heartbeat. Palpitations can feel like your heart is:

• Beating too fast
• Skipping beats
• Having extra beats
• Flip-flopping or fluttering
• Pounding very hard
• Hammering in your throat or neck as well as your chest

These palpitations often have perfectly normal causes and shouldn’t make you alarmed.

Common causes of palpitations

There are many causes of heart palpitations, including:

• Caffeine or other stimulants
• Strong emotions like excitement or fear
• Underlying health issues like anemia or overactive thyroid
• Use of respiratory medications like an asthma inhaler
• Pregnancy
• Exercise
• Dehydration
• Alcohol or drug use
• Blood loss

Palpitations caused by most of these (save the last two) are very common and aren’t normally a cause for concern. However, if you have a personal or family history of heart health issues, you should take palpitations more seriously.

When to take palpitations seriously

In rare cases, palpitations could be a sign of a serious or even potentially fatal heart condition. If you’re having heart palpitations for the first time, see your doctor. 

If you’re having heart palpitations at any time and they’re accompanied by any of these additional symptoms, seek immediate medical attention:

• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness and/or fainting
• Sudden and intense sweating
• Nausea
• Chest pain
• Back, neck, jaw, or stomach pain

These symptoms combined with palpitations could be signs of an impending or in progress heart attack. 

Diagnosing the cause of your palpitations 

Depending on your personal medical and family history and your symptoms and types of palpitations, we run various tests to see if your overall heart health is good. We may find an underlying arrhythmia or valve problem that’s showing early signs in the form of palpitations. 

One of our more useful tests is an echocardiogram, or ECG. This lets us look at the structure of your heart and see any abnormalities, like enlarged sections or damaged valves. If you’ve had palpitations but your ECG looks good, you’re probably just fine.

Is your heart palpitating? Are you concerned about your heart health? Don’t live in a state of anxiety or fear. Simply call West Houston Heart Center at 832-400-3957, or request an appointment online.