Why does heart palpitations feel like

A two-step approach can help here. To keep palpitations away, try meditation, the relaxation response, exercise, yoga, tai chi, or another stress-busting activity.

If palpitations do appear, breathing exercises or tensing and relaxing individual muscle groups in your body can help. Deep breathing. Sit quietly and close your eyes. Place one hand on your abdomen. Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose.

Feel your abdomen move outward. Exhale through your nose or mouth, whichever feels more comfortable. If your heart is racing unexpectedly, you can try to stop it yourself with one of the following maneuvers. However, if they don't work promptly and the symptoms persist, have someone drive you to the emergency department or call Valsalva maneuver.

Pinch your nose closed with the fingers of one hand. Close your mouth. Try to breathe out forcibly through your nose. Bear down. Clench your stomach muscles and your anal sphincter. Then bear down as if you are having a bowel movement. This is another way to do the Valsalva maneuver. Cold water. Splash cold water on your face, or immerse your face in a sink or large bowl filled with cold water. The Valsalva maneuver, bearing down, and cold water stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps control the heart rate.

Deep breathing helps relax you and ease the stress and anxiety that can come with palpitations. If self-help techniques don't work, and palpitations are still bothersome, you may want to try some medical options. Medications called beta blockers are sometimes used to treat heart palpitations. They slow the heart rate and control the flow of "beat now" signals that regulate the heartbeat.

Sometimes a medical procedure called an ablation is needed. It can control palpitations caused by errant electrical signals in the heart. If you have palpitations with shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, or fainting, have someone drive you to an emergency department or call your local emergency number right away. These may be signs of a serious heart problem. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

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Recent Blog Articles. Andrea Tordini, MD. Believing that something could be wrong with your heart is a scary feeling. Heart palpitations can make you fear the worst, but palpitations are actually quite common and usually nothing to worry about.

Rarely, they could be a sign of a more serious condition like AFib. Knowing when to worry about heart palpitations can help you catch certain conditions early so that you can seek treatment.

Heart Palpitations occur for many reasons. You should contact your doctor if you experience heart palpitations frequently, for longer than a few seconds, or if they are accompanied with dizziness, loss of consciousness, chest or upper body pain, nausea, excessive or unusual sweating, and shortness of breath. Have you ever felt your heart skip a beat or flutter in your chest? Any sensation that makes you aware of your heart beating is a type of palpitation.

You can even feel these sensations in your throat or neck. Instead, they are commonly triggered by:. For the most part, palpitations caused by non-heart related triggers can be treated with simple home remedies. Likewise, a thumping heart caused by stimulant use can be calmed by reducing your intake of tobacco products and caffeine. Hydration and diet play a big role, too.

Being dehydrated or having low levels of potassium can also trigger heart palpitations. If you have low blood sugar, eating too many carbohydrate-rich foods and processed sugars can increase your likelihood of experiencing palpitations.

Nearly everyone will experience heart palpitations at some point. You should call your doctor if your heart palpitations last longer than a few seconds at a time or occur frequently. They when, when you do visit your doctor, it will be easier for them to make an accurate diagnosis. When to Call an Ambulance. These are possible warning signs of a heart attack or other serious heart condition that requires immediate medical attention. Serious Causes of Heart Palpitations.

Sometimes, heart palpitations are a sign of a serious type of arrhythmia irregular heartbeat such as AFib or ventricular tachycardia VT , or even heart failure. Count on Dr. These are known as ectopic beats and are also usually nothing to worry about. In these cases, the palpitations should go away on their own. Avoiding these triggers may help stop them from coming back. Doing breathing exercises and learning how to deal with a panic attack may help if you're feeling stressed, anxious or panicked.

Speak to a GP if you think a medicine may be causing your heart palpitations. But do not stop taking a prescribed treatment without first getting medical advice. Palpitations are sometimes caused by a problem with the heart rhythm arrhythmia , such as:.

You do not usually need to see a GP if the palpitations pass quickly and only happen occasionally. They're unlikely to be caused by a serious problem and probably will not need treatment.