Heart skipping a beat? When palpitations are more than just a flutter

At some point in life, almost everyone experiences the feeling of their heart skipping a beat.

Heart palpitations are common, and can feel like fluttering, pounding or like your heart is beating rapidly. Palpitations are also usually infrequent and don’t last very long.

“Heart palpitations can be caused by a number of things, including exercise, stress, caffeine, or even a medication you’re taking,” said Ronald Berger, MD, FACC, FSNC, a cardiologist with Endeavor Health. “Palpitations might feel unsettling to some, but most of the time they’re harmless.”

Common causes of heart palpitations include:

• Emotional stress. Stress, anxiety and even panic attacks
• What you’re consuming — or not consuming. Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine can all cause a heart to flutter. So can dehydration.
• Your medication. Some medications, such as over-the-counter cold or cough medicines that contain pseudoephedrine
• Hormonal changes connected to menstruation, pregnancy or menopause
• Strenuous exercise

There are some less common but more serious conditions that can cause palpitations.

• Arrhythmias, in particular atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heartbeat, can cause that fluttering feeling in your chest. Some signs of AFib are palpitations accompanied chest pain, pressure or discomfort, fatigue or weakness, lightheadedness or dizziness and shortness of breath.
• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). Too much thyroid hormone can cause the heart to beat faster and trigger palpitations or irregular heartbeats.
• A heart condition (e.g., heart disease, such as coronary artery disease, heart failure or heart valve abnormalities) can also cause palpitations.