Heart palpitations
বুক ধড়ফড়
Common Symptoms
Symptom information is not available for this condition yet.
Emergency Warning Signs
Call 999 or go to A&E if you or someone with you has heart palpitations along with:
- dizziness
- sudden shortness of breath
- chest pain
- fainting or loss of consciousness
Contact your GP practice if you have heart palpitations and:
- they keep coming back
- they are getting worse
- they last more than a few minutes
- you have a heart condition
- heart problems run in your family
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
Heart palpitations are an awareness of your own heartbeat. Your heart might feel like it's pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly. Most often this lasts just a few seconds or minutes, and you may notice it in your chest, throat or neck.
Palpitations can feel alarming, but in most cases they aren't a sign of any significant problem with your heart.
Call 999 or go to the hospital emergency department if:
You or someone else has heart palpitations, and also has:
- dizziness
- sudden shortness of breath
- chest pain
- loses consciousness
See a doctor if:
You have heart palpitations and:
- they keep coming back
- they're getting worse
- they last longer than a few minutes
- you have a heart condition
- you have a history of heart problems in your family
Causes of heart palpitations
Heart palpitations are often brought on by everyday lifestyle factors. The common ones are:
- stress
- anxiety
- panic attacks
- lack of sleep
- strenuous exercise
- drinking too much alcohol
- drinking lots of caffeine
- smoking
- taking illegal or recreational drugs
Medicines
Some medicines can cause heart palpitations as a side effect. These include inhalers for COPD and asthma, and tablets for a thyroid problem. You may notice the palpitations most when you have just started taking the medicine.
Talk to a doctor
Talk to your doctor if you think a medicine you take may be causing your heart palpitations. Don't stop taking any treatment before you've spoken to your doctor first.
Hormone changes
Changes in your hormones can bring on heart palpitations. You might notice them at times like these:
- periods
- pregnancy
- perimenopause
- the menopause
Medical conditions
Sometimes a medical condition is behind heart palpitations. These include:
- a heart problem, like arrhythmia
- an overactive thyroid
- dehydration (not enough fluid in the body)
- diabetes
- infections
- iron deficiency anaemia
- low blood sugar level
- some types of low blood pressure
Read more: Overactive thyroid · Dehydration · Iron deficiency anaemia · Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) · Low blood pressure
Arrhythmia
Heart palpitations can sometimes be a symptom of an arrhythmia, which means there's a problem with the heart's rhythm.
Atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia are two common arrhythmias. If your doctor thinks you have an arrhythmia, you may be sent for some tests to assess your heart.
Read more: Atrial fibrillation · Supraventricular tachycardia
Things to do
- try to reduce your stress levels
- practise deep breathing exercises
- drink less caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, energy drinks and some fizzy drinks
- eat a healthy diet