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.