Should I Worry About Heart Palpitations?

Have you ever become overly aware of your heartbeat or felt like your heart was pounding, racing, or fluttering? These are common symptoms of heart palpitations. Heart palpitations can be felt in your chest, neck, or throat and may make it feel like your heart skips a beat or has an extra beat. They usually pass quickly, lasting only a few minutes or seconds.

Palpitations are usually harmless, and they’re typically the result of something such as anxiety or strenuous exercise. Still, they can occur while at rest. So, while they might feel startling, there’s usually nothing to worry about. 

However, heart palpitations can sometimes point to a more serious heart condition. Because of that, our team at Florida Heart, Vein, and Vascular Institute wants to highlight when you should worry about heart palpitations.

Possible causes of heart palpitations

Heart palpitations are the second most common reason people seek care from a cardiologist. These palpitations can be caused by the following:

• Excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption
• Spicy food
• Strong emotions, such as fear or stress
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy, menstruation, or menopause
• Over-the-counter cough or cold medication
• Prescription medications, including inhalers or decongestants
• Overactive thyroid
• Dehydration

In rare cases, heart palpitations can point to an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) or other heart conditions, such as heart disease or congestive heart failure.

When to see a cardiologist about heart palpitations

You may need to see our expert cardiologist team if your heart palpitations worsen or become more frequent. That is especially true if you know you have an underlying heart condition.

We start by performing a physical exam and thoroughly reviewing your medical history. We’ll ask you about the circumstances surrounding your heart palpitations and their frequency and review other symptoms.

The following steps may include diagnostic testing to find what’s causing the palpitations. We can run blood and urine tests to check hormones, blood cells, and electrolyte levels. Other tests, such as an electrocardiogram or Holter monitoring, study your heart for abnormal rhythms. 

If these tests don’t find anything, we can perform a cardiac catheterization to check the structures of your heart and look for any abnormalities.

Depending on the cause of your palpitations, you may not need any treatment. However, if we discover an irregular heartbeat or signs of heart disease, we may need medications or a device to correct these issues. We discuss every step of the treatment process with you and schedule follow-up appointments for any other required treatments.

If you’d like to find out what’s causing your heart palpitations, contact our office to schedule an appointment with our team. Call or connect with our team online today.