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Ask An Expert

Detecting Heart Palpitations

Richard H. Hongo

Richard H. Hongo, M.D., FACC

Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation

Novato Community Hospital

California Pacific Medical Center

Brown & Toland Physicians HMO Network

Mills-Peninsula Medical Center

Question:

How do I know if I'm having a heart palpitation? What do they feel like?

Answer:

Palpitations can feel different to different people. Sometimes they are described as a skipping sensation of the heart. Sometimes an irregularity in the heart beat is likened to a bird fluttering around inside the chest. Sometimes palpitations make people feel like something is suddenly caught in their throat and it is hard to breath.

Most of the time, palpitations are more of a nuisance than a concerning problem. The time that palpitations can be of concern is if there are other heart conditions present. So an evaluation of the heart is helpful to verify that a person with palpitations is safe. A doctor can capture the episodes on portable ECG monitors and give you an idea of what is causing the palpitations. There are many ways to treat the palpitations.

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Back to Heart Health

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