Is this your symptom?
- A fluttering feeling in your chest
- A thumping or pounding feeling in your chest
Causes of Palpitations
There are many causes of palpitations. The most serious causes can be life-threatening, but can often be treated with quick diagnosis. Seek medical help right away if your palpitations do not stop within a minute or two. Also, seek help right away if you start to feel dizzy, have chest pain or trouble breathing, or feel like you are going to pass out. Many causes of palpitations are less serious.
- Heart Disease (serious)
is a common and important cause of palpitations. You might notice your pulse (heart rate) has changed if you are wearing a device such as a Fitbit. Abnormal heart beats are called arrhythmias. Some come and go and are harmless. Others are permanent unless treated. They can cause other problems such as clots forming in the heart. These clots can leave the heart and cause a stroke. You should seek help right away if you have palpitations and serious symptoms start to happen. Heart conditions that can cause arrhythmias include:
- Heart attack and angina
- Heart valve disease
- High blood pressure
- Age-related changes
- Heart muscle disorders (cardiomyopathy)
- Congenital heart problems
- Pulmonary Embolus (serious) occurs when a clot from somewhere in the body (often the legs) travels through the blood stream and gets trapped in the lungs. A large clot can quickly be life-threatening. Symptoms include breathlessness, chest pain and coughing up blood. There is often a fast heart beat and palpitations
- Caffeine, Alcohol and Smoking. Too much caffeine or alcohol is a common cause. Smoking can also cause palpitations. Using less of these is often all that is needed. Sudden reduction can cause withdrawal symptoms, which may also include palpitations.
- Medicines:
- Medicines for ADHD can cause a fast heartbeat.
- Illegal drugs, such as cocaine, can cause a fast heart rate.
- Thyroxine, used to treat low thyroid, can cause a fast heartbeat and palpitations.
- Beta blockers and Digoxin are medicines that are used to slow and/or manage the heart rate. If you don't take the right dose, the heart may become too slow and feel like palpitations.
- Anemia is a condition where there are not enough red blood cells or the red cells are not carrying enough oxygen. So, the heart has to work harder to push enough oxygen to the tissues. Once the cause of the anemia is found and treated, the palpitations should calm down.
- Anxiety. Most people feel anxious from time to time. You may feel fearful or tense, but you may also feel symptoms such as dry mouth, sweating or shaking. You may also feel like your heart is racing (palpitations). Some people mistake these symptoms for anxiety. But, if you feel anxious and you can't think what you are anxious about, try checking your pulse or speak to your doctor. Treatment or control of the anxiety will help the palpitations go away.
- Fever. Heart rate is often higher if you have a fever, so you may feel palpitations. The most common cause of fever is infection. But, other health problems can cause your temperature to rise. Treatment of the cause will help calm the palpitations.
- Dehydration, Fluid or Blood Loss can lead to a less than normal amount of blood flowing through your body. The heart beats faster to make up for this and you may feel palpitations. Treatment of the cause will help the palpitations to calm down.
- Overactive Thyroid (hyperthyroidism) is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too much thyroxine. It can make your heart beat race. You will lose weight in spite of having a bigger appetite. You may also sweat and feel weak. There may be changes in the appearance of your eyes. Treatment may be with medicines, radiotherapy and/or surgery.
- Underactive Thyroid (hypothyroidism) is the opposite of an overactive thyroid. It causes bodily functions to slow down. The pulse rate will be slow and that may feel like palpitations. Treatment is with thyroxine tablets. But if too much is given the effect is the same as having an overactive thyroid.
- Pregnancy. There are many different reasons why you may get palpitations in pregnancy. These include high blood pressure, low blood pressure, bleeding, dehydration, pain and anemia. Also, as pregnancy progresses, the mother's blood volume is increased and the heart has to work harder to circulate the blood. The pulse is often faster and this may feel like palpitations. Call your doctor if you are pregnant and have palpitations.
When to Call for Rapid heart beat
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Self Care at Home
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Call 911 Now
- Severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath, can barely speak)
- Chest pain or pain that goes into the neck, jaw or arm
- Passed out (fainted) or feel dizzy (like you might pass out)
- Confused
- Bluish lips or face or you appear very pale
- Severe sweating
- A tearing feeling in the chest, abdomen or back
- Not moving or too weak to stand
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Severe constant pain (you are not able to move or do anything)
- Palpitations began when you were exercising
- Palpitations that do not go away within a few minutes
- Palpitations and you have had heart problems in the past
- You have had palpitations before, but it feels worse this time: more severe, faster, slower or last longer
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- You have known heart disease
- Trouble breathing, but not severe
- Fever or chills; feeling hot or shivery
- Heart is beating very fast (pounding heart felt or rapid pulse), but you don't feel ill
- Heart is beating very slowly, but you don't feel ill
- Heart is not beating with a steady rhythm. It may feel like there are extra beats or missed beats, but you don't feel ill.
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- You feel well, but you have had more than 1 bout of palpitations within the past 24 hours
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Palpitations go away within a minute or two and there are no other symptoms
- Palpitations cause is known, such as you drank too much caffeine or have anxiety. Follow the treatment plan you have been given.
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
