Heart palpitations feel like the heart is pounding, racing, missing beats, or fluttering. The reasons can range from anxiety, stress, and even eating spicy food. One may feel palpitations in their neck, chest, and throat. It can occur anytime, even when performing routine activities or resting. Additionally, one may usually experience palpitations at any point during menopause, pregnancy, or even as a teenager. Let us look into the details of this condition.

Symptoms
In most cases, heart palpitations occur for a few seconds or minutes, but they can also last longer. They are known to be common and may not be serious in a large number of cases. However, having an abnormal heart rhythm is a critical issue that should be checked immediately. Various symptoms of palpitation may feel like the heart is pounding, racing, missing a beat, fluttering, having an extra beat, or flip-flopping.

In case an individual has the following health conditions, and there is an abnormal heartbeat, then there is a need to see the doctor immediately:

• Abnormal heart valve
• Heart disease
• Risk factors for heart diseases.

One should get detailed diagnosis and check-ups done, if palpitation is accompanied by fainting, severe dizziness, serious shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, difficulty breathing, weakness, excessive sweating, and confusion.

Causes
There may be several causes ranging from excessive exercise, lifestyle factors, strong emotions, and certain treatments.

Lifestyle triggers
Some factors like dehydration, strenuous exercise, lack of sleep, excess caffeine, can lead to palpitations.
Psychological or emotional triggers
Various mental states like anxiety, fear, shock, panic, and stress can contribute to the condition.

Heart conditions
Palpitations may occur because of serious heart disease, abnormal heart valves, irregular heart rhythm, and congestive heart failure.

Other health conditions
Other reasons that may be responsible are fever, anemia, sleep apnea, hyperthyroidism, electrolyte abnormalities, hormonal changes that may occur because of menopause or pregnancy, low blood sugar, and blood loss.

Diagnosis
To identify the reason for palpitations, the healthcare provider will start by asking about one’s health history. They will seek answers to questions like how often and when they happen, how the individual feels when it occurs, and how long it lasts. If the physician suspects that palpitations are occurring due to certain health conditions, they may suggest getting the following tests done – Urine tests, blood tests, stress test, electrocardiogram, heart ultrasound, electrophysiology study, cardiac catheterization, or Holter monitoring.

Treatment and strategies
The treatment regime will depend on the cause. Palpitations may also go away on their own. If this happens, there is no need for any therapy. But, if the healthcare provider cannot find any cause, they may advise the individual to follow certain strategies. These may include the following.

Manage stress and anxiety
It becomes essential to ease stress and anxiety to reduce heart palpitations. One should try to manage stressful situations. This can be done by following techniques like meditation, yoga, biofeedback, aromatherapy, and guided imagery.

Make changes in meals
In case caffeine triggers heart palpitations, it is best to lower its intake. Also, eating less spicy food is recommended to control the condition. Low blood glucose may also lead to heart palpitations. Therefore, one should manage sugar levels by replacing artificial sugar or simple carbs with complex carbs. For example, include fresh vegetables and fruits in meals. It’s best to avoid fruit juice concentrates, baked goods, and sugary sodas, and stick to having nutrient-rich meals as much as possible.

Perform exercises
One should exercise and perform workouts regularly, but avoid doing excessively strenuous physical activities. Before starting any exercise routine, it is best to consult the healthcare provider to know which one is best suited for you.

Manage health conditions
Keep a check and control certain health conditions like blood sugar and cholesterol levels. If certain treatments are the reason for these health disorders, consulting the healthcare provider is suggested to find an alternate therapy.

Make a note of the triggers
Try and be aware of your triggers for heart palpitation. Keeping a log of the activities and which foods and beverages may cause palpitations is beneficial. One should also note the duration of palpitation and the time of the day they happen.

Heart palpitations can be common. Usually, they do not cause any harm. But in some scenarios, they may be an indication of a serious disease. If the individual is suffering from any heart condition and facing heart palpitations, it is best to consult the healthcare provider at the earliest.