--- title: "Detecting Heart Palpitations | Sutter Health" description: "How do I know if I'm having a heart palpitation? What do they feel like?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207" --- 1. Home / 2. Detecting Heart Palpitations # Detecting Heart Palpitations * * * Medically reviewed by - Richard H. Hongo, M.D., FACC ## 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. ## Explore related topics Heart healthHeart Rhythm Disorders ## Meet our care team Richard H. Hongo, M.D., FACC Cardiovascular Disease Electrophysiology ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Abnormal Heart Rhythm Tests My primary care doctor detected an abnormal heart rhythm and wants me to see a cardiologist for an EP study. What is an EP study and what is the cardiologist looking for? - Health Q&A ### Control of Ventricular Tachycardia I was diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia a few years ago. I can usually keep it under control, except when I over exercise or if I've been stressed. Then my heart rate goes really up. Is there anything I can do to keep this from happening? - Health Q&A ### Controlling PSVT Symptoms I have occasional rapid heartbeats, which my doctor recently diagnosed as PSVD. But I have no other heart conditions. So he did not suggest any type of treatment except to avoid certain things like alcohol. Is there anything else I should be doing? - Health Q&A ### Diving with a Pacemaker? I'm a scuba diver who just had a pacemaker implanted. Is it safe to continue to dive? I have normal heart muscle function. - Health Q&A ### Heart "Flipping Around" I just e-mailed my doctor about the feeling that my heart is flipping around in my chest. I feel like I have a heart problem. I had a 24-hour Holter monitor and they said it looks fine. But I think something is wrong. Should I see a cardiologist? View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Detecting Heart Palpitations"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207","name":"Detecting Heart Palpitations","description":"Palpitations can feel different to different people. 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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.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/detecting-heart-palpitations-1051061207#expert","name":"Richard H. Hongo","honorificSuffix":["M.D.","FACC"]} ```