What is palpitation? – Palpitation refers to feeling of one’s heartbeat. It may feel fast and pounding. This heartbeat may be felt in the chest, throat or neck. Usually, the beating of the heart occurs without notice. In other words, we do not normally feel our heartbeats.
When you begin to feel your heartbeat, it requires attention. Though it is common and often harmless, palpitations may be the earliest sign of an underlying heart disease.
Palpitations usually last for a short time, usually few seconds or minutes. However, occasionally, they may last longer.
Palpitations are common and often harmless. They may occur at rest or during routine daily activities; and, therefore, may not have an apparent cause. The following are common causes of palpitations to search for when it occurs:
When there are palpitations, the heart feels like:
The treatment of palpitation depends on the cause.
No treatment: Palpitations that occur without any background disease need no treatment. For example, palpitations due to exercise, anxiety, panic, fear, pregnancy etc. will resolve after the resolution of these conditions without the need for treatment.
However, palpitations that occur due to specific causes can only be corrected by addressing the underlying cause(s). For example:
