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Palpitations

Condition Overview:

Palpitations are the sensation of a rapidly or irregularly beating heart. 

Palpitations can occur normally when your heart is working hard. For example, you might feel a rapid or irregular heartbeat when you have just exercised, have a fever, or are feeling anxious. At these times your heart may pump faster or increase the amount of blood it pumps with each beat. This is a normal response to lifting weights, walking up a hill, or becoming emotionally excited. Often you may not even notice this increased heart activity. 

Medical conditions that can also cause palpitations include:

• Anemia
• Anxiety
• Some thyroid problems
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Mitral valve prolapse, a mild deformity of one of the valves in your heart

A very common cause of palpitations is the overuse of stimulants, including caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas), nicotine, diet pills, and medications such as decongestants. Accidental overdose of some medicines can cause palpitations.  Examples of such medicines are theophylline, antidepressants, and thyroid hormone replacement. Another less common cause of palpitations is a type of abnormal heartbeats called premature beats, PVCs (premature ventricular contractions), or ectopic beats. These are abnormal beats that are not a problem if they occur just once in a while.  However, if they occur frequently or in sequence, they can lead to problems.

Palpitations may feel like your heart is:

• Jumping around your chest
• Skipping a beat
• Fluttering
• Pounding
• Racing 

Occasionally, you may feel lightheaded or short of breath when you have palpitations.  Usually, however, palpitations occur without other symptoms.  Generally they last for a few seconds to a few minutes.