Do you have heart palpitations?
What are heart palpitations and when should you be concerned?
By BBC News
Heart palpitations can feel alarming, but they are often harmless. Health guidance says people should seek help if they keep happening, last longer than a few minutes or come with symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness or fainting.
Heart palpitations are the feeling that your heart is beating in a noticeable or unusual way.
They can feel like a fluttering, pounding, racing, skipping or thumping sensation in the chest. Some people also feel them in the throat or neck.
For many people, palpitations are brief and harmless. They may happen during stress, anxiety, exercise, tiredness, dehydration or after too much caffeine, alcohol or nicotine.
They can also be linked to some medicines, hormonal changes, fever, low blood sugar, anaemia, thyroid problems or an abnormal heart rhythm.
The NHS says palpitations can last for seconds, minutes or longer. They can happen when someone is active or resting. (nhs.uk)
In many cases, they settle on their own and do not mean there is a serious heart problem.
However, people should not ignore palpitations that keep coming back, are getting worse or last longer than a few minutes.
NHS advice says people should contact a GP if palpitations happen repeatedly, become more frequent, last longer than a few minutes, or if the person has a heart condition or family history of heart problems. (nhs.uk)
The British Heart Foundation also advises people to seek medical advice if palpitations are prolonged, worsening or causing concern. (British Heart Foundation)
Some symptoms need urgent attention.
People should call 999 or go to A&E if palpitations happen with chest pain or tightness, severe shortness of breath, dizziness, feeling faint, fainting or blackouts. (NHS inform)
These symptoms do not always mean something life-threatening is happening, but they can be signs of a serious heart rhythm problem or another urgent medical issue.
A GP may ask when the palpitations happen, how long they last, whether there are triggers and whether there are other symptoms.
Tests may include checking pulse and blood pressure, blood tests, an electrocardiogram, or a heart monitor worn for a period of time to record rhythm changes.
For people who get occasional palpitations and feel otherwise well, simple steps may help.
These can include reducing caffeine and alcohol, drinking enough water, improving sleep, managing stress and avoiding nicotine or recreational drugs.
Keeping a note of when palpitations happen can also be useful. Recording the time, activity, food or drink, stress level and symptoms may help a doctor identify possible triggers.
The key message is that palpitations are common and often not dangerous.
But new, frequent, prolonged or worsening palpitations should be checked, especially if they happen with chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness or fainting.
Anyone worried about their heart symptoms should seek medical advice rather than trying to self-diagnose.