Palpitations Specialist

What are heart palpitations?

Heart palpitations are sensations that your heart has either skipped a beat or added an extra beat. Palpitations feel different for each person. They can last for a few seconds or minutes at a time, be mild or intense, and feel like fluttering, pounding, murmuring, or a general sense that your heartbeat isn’t normal.

Most people get heart palpitations once every so often, but some people experience many palpitations a day. Palpitations may worry you since they seem like an obvious sign that your heart’s not working properly.

In fact, most palpitations are harmless, sort of like your heart’s version of hiccups. Still, if you have heart palpitations often enough to interfere with your life, you should schedule an appointment at Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants, LLC, so Dr. Djamson can figure out the cause.

Note that palpitations are occasionally the sign of a more serious condition. In that case, they usually accompany other symptoms. Get medical attention right away if you also experience chest pain or pressure when you get palpitations, or if you feel dizzy and lightheaded.

What causes heart palpitations?

Heart palpitations may have a cause that’s unrelated to your heart health, including anemia, thyroid problems, and low blood potassium.

Many people get palpitations in specific situations, including feeling stressed, drinking alcohol, or using stimulants like caffeine and nicotine. They’re also a side effect of certain medications, including diet pills and asthma inhalers, and may be the symptom of a food sensitivity.

Some people with heart palpitations have an arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation can lead to complications such as heart attack or stroke. If your heart palpitations result from a more serious condition, they’ll likely last longer than a few seconds at a time, and you won’t be able to trace them to a specific trigger.

How are heart palpitations diagnosed and treated?

Heart palpitations can be tricky for Dr. Djamson to diagnose without your input. That’s because palpitations come and go, and may not happen during your appointment at Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants, LLC. So, it’s helpful for you to be able to describe how your heart palpitations feel, if you experience them more during certain activities and if you experience any other symptoms at the same time.

Dr. Djamson may take an electrocardiogram (ECG), which records your heart’s electrical activity or send you home with a monitor that measures your heart activity over a longer period to catch any irregular rhythms.

If you also have symptoms like chest pain, Dr. Djamson may perform additional tests to determine if you have a more serious heart condition.

Treatment of palpitations depends on their cause. If stress, certain foods, or substances may be triggering your palpitations, Dr. Djamson may recommend stress management techniques or dietary modifications to manage stress and modifying your diet. Dr. Djamson may also recommend alternative treatments if you’re taking medications known to cause palpitations.

Treatment for arrhythmia includes medications to control your heartbeat or procedures such as electrical cardioversion and a pacemaker, which use electrical impulses.

To get treatment for heart palpitations, call Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants, LLC or use the online booking tool today.