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- Dictionarypalpitation/ˌpalpɪˈteɪʃn/
noun
- 1. a noticeably rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat due to agitation, exertion, or illness: "the stimulants gave me palpitations"
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What is a palpitation in the heart?
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When you have heart palpitations, your heartbeat feels uncomfortable or unusual. You may feel it in your chest, neck or throat. Your heartbeat may feel like it is: racing or beating very fast. irregular, with skipped or extra beats (ectopic beats) pounding or thumping. fluttering.
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Heart palpitations can feel like the heart is:
•Beating too fast
•Flip-flopping
•Fluttering rapidly
•Pounding
•Skipping beats
Palpitations that are infrequent and last only a few seconds usually don't need to be evaluated. If you have a history of heart disease and have palpitations that occur frequently or worsen, talk to your health care provider. You may need heart-monitoring tests to see if the palpitations are caused by a more serious heart problem.
Seek emergency medical attention if heart palpitations occur with:
•Chest discomfort or pain
•Fainting
•Severe shortness of breath
•Severe dizziness
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Often the cause of heart palpitations can't be found. Common causes include:
•Strong emotional responses, such as stress, anxiety or panic attacks
•Depression
•Strenuous exercise
•Stimulants, including caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, and cold and cough medications that contain pseudoephedrine
•Fever
Risk factors for heart palpitations include:
•Stress
•Anxiety disorder or panic attack
•Pregnancy
•Certain medicines that contain stimulants, such as some cold or asthma medications
•An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
For palpitations caused by a heart condition, possible complications may include:
•Fainting. If the heart beats rapidly, blood pressure can drop, causing the person to faint. This is more likely in those with a heart problem, such as congenital heart disease or certain valve problems.
•Cardiac arrest. Rarely, palpitations can be caused by life-threatening heartbeat problems and can cause the heart to stop beating effectively.
•Stroke. If palpitations are due to a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart quiver instead of beating properly (atrial fibrillation), blood can pool and cause clots to form. If a clot breaks loose, it can block a brain artery, causing a stroke.
•Heart failure. Certain arrhythmias can reduce the heart's pumping ability. Sometimes, controlling the rate of an arrhythmia that's causing heart failure can improve the heart's function.
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•Chest X-rays
•Echocardiogram
•Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
•Holter monitor
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Jun 3, 2024 · Palpitations make you feel like your heart is beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, or fluttering. You may notice heart palpitations in your chest, throat, or neck....
Sep 16, 2022 · Heart palpitations are a feeling like your heart is racing, pounding, flip-flopping or fluttering. They can be caused by anxiety, caffeine, pregnancy, medications and other factors. Learn how to diagnose and treat them.
The meaning of PALPITATION is a rapid pulsation; especially : an abnormally rapid or irregular beating of the heart (such as that caused by panic, arrhythmia, or strenuous physical exercise).
Palpitations are perceived abnormalities of the heartbeat characterized by awareness of cardiac muscle contractions in the chest, which is further characterized by the hard, fast and/or irregular beatings of the heart.
Feb 10, 2022 · Heart palpitations are feelings of your heart beating hard, fast, or irregularly. They can be caused by lifestyle, emotional, or medical factors. Learn how to diagnose and treat them.
