Heart skips a beat and then beats hard

Heart palpitations are when your heartbeat becomes more noticeable. They're usually harmless, but get help if you keep getting them or you also have other symptoms.

What heart palpitations feel like

When you have heart palpitations, your heartbeat feels uncomfortable or unusual. You may feel it in your chest, neck or throat.

Your heartbeat may feel like it is:

  • racing or beating very fast
  • irregular, with skipped or extra beats (ectopic beats)
  • pounding or thumping
  • fluttering

Heart palpitations can last seconds, minutes or longer.

Causes of heart palpitations

Heart palpitations are common and not usually a sign of anything serious.

Common causes include:

  • strenuous exercise
  • lack of sleep
  • stress and anxiety
  • medicines (check the leaflet that comes with the medicine)
  • alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and recreational drugs

Sometimes heart palpitations can be a sign you're going through the menopause. Some people get them during pregnancy.

Less often, they can be caused by a condition such as iron deficiency anaemia, an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or a heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia).

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

You have heart palpitations and:

  • they keep coming back or they're getting worse
  • they last longer than a few minutes
  • you have a heart condition
  • you have a history of heart problems in your family

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:

You currently have heart palpitations with any of these symptoms:

  • chest pain
  • shortness of breath
  • feeling faint or fainting

Find your nearest A&E

Information:

If you've had these symptoms but they've now stopped, ask your GP surgery for an urgent appointment, call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Treatment for heart palpitations

Treatment for heart palpitations depends on the cause. They often do not need to be treated.

Avoiding things that can trigger palpitations, such as stress, smoking, caffeine and alcohol, can help.

You may have an electrocardiogram (ECG) to help find out what the cause might be. This is a test where small pads are stuck to your skin to check the electrical signals coming from your heart.

If your palpitations are caused by a heart problem, you may need medicines or a procedure to help correct your heartbeat.

Although heart palpitations are often harmless, they can feel frightening, and in some cases, they’re a sign of an underlying heart condition. Feeling the occasional fluttering of your heart usually isn’t a cause for concern, and it may feel as if your heart skips a beat or has a noticeable change in rhythm. 

While heart palpitations can have many harmless causes, it’s wise to know when to alert a health care provider, and a heart specialist can get to the bottom of your symptoms. At Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants, board-certified cardiologist Ayim Djamson, MD, diagnoses and treats conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. 

If you’re experiencing a sensation that your heart is skipping a beat, Dr. Djamson can get to the root of the problem, and provide answers and treatment if necessary. Take a moment to learn more about heart palpitations and what to do if it feels like your heart skips a beat. 

Understanding heart palpitations

Everyone is familiar with the typical rhythm of their heartbeat. Palpitations are different from your regular heartbeat. It may feel as if your heart is beating too fast, too strongly, or is fluttering. Some people describe feeling their heart-pounding inside their chest or skipping a beat. Sometimes it may feel like there’s an extra beat. 

In most cases, heart palpitations last only a few seconds and resolve on their own. There are some cases where heart palpitations are a warning sign of a serious underlying heart condition. Palpitations can be a symptom of: 

  • Heart failure
  • Heart attack
  • Heart valve dysfunction
  • Congenital heart defects
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Dr. Djamson routinely diagnoses and treats these conditions. 

Causes of heart palpitations

The causes of palpitations vary widely. Non-serious causes of heart palpitations include strong emotions such as:

Underlying health conditions can impact heart rhythm. These are:

  • Anema
  • Low blood sugar
  • Hormonal changes

In these cases, heart palpitations should resolve following treatment of the underlying condition. Over-the-counter and prescription medications and nutritional supplements can also cause heart palpitations. 

When heart palpitations require immediate medical attention

Certain symptoms are serious enough to require immediate medical attention. If you’ve been diagnosed with a heart condition and experience sudden palpitations, get immediate medical help. Other symptoms that require immediate medical attention whether you have a heart condition or not are: 

  • Dizziness
  • Weakness
  • Confusion
  • Chest pain
  • Trouble breathing
  • Pain in your arms
  • Excessive sweating
  • Pain in your neck or upper back

Note that if your resting pulse is more than 100 beats per minute, get help right away. Any of these symptoms could be signs of a serious cardiac event. 

Practical steps for non-serious heart palpitations

Heart palpitations that are brief and resolve on their own aren’t usually a cause for concern. If you’ve had a comprehensive evaluation of your heart and been told that it’s functioning fine, your palpitations may be related to less serious causes. 

Avoiding the underlying trigger can keep palpitations at bay. Dr. Djamson can help you determine the cause of your palpitations. Smoking, caffeine intake, and chronic stress can contribute to heart palpitations. 

Practicing deep breathing and other relaxation techniques may also help, especially if your palpitations are the result of stress or anxiety. 

When it comes to your heart, it’s best not to take any chances. If you have unexplained heart palpitations, it’s wise to schedule a consultation with Metropolitan Cardiovascular Consultants. We have offices in Beltsville, Bowie, and Columbia, Maryland. Call the office nearest you or request an appointment online. You can also send a message to Dr. Djamson and the team here on our website.

Why does my heart skip a beat and then beats hard?

A palpitation — a skipped, extra or irregular heartbeat — is a type of abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia. It occurs when an electrical signal fires from the wrong place at the wrong time, causing the heart to beat out of rhythm.

What does it mean when your heart flutters and skips a beat?

Heart palpitations (pal-pih-TAY-shuns) are feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart. Stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, a medical condition can trigger them. Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless.

Why did my heart randomly skip a beat?

Some reasons you may experience heart palpitations that don't signify a medical problem with your heart include: Certain emotions, such as anxiety, stress, panic or fear. Too much caffeine. Nicotine from smoking cigarettes or using an e-cigarette.

When should I be worried about heart palpitations?

If you're experiencing what feels like frequent or prolonged episodes of palpitations, or you're also having symptoms such as chest pain or dizziness when you have these episodes, it's a good idea to talk to your GP.