Heart Palpitations
01Symptoms
Common signs and symptoms associated with Heart Palpitations include:
- A racing or pounding heartbeat
- A fluttering sensation in the chest
- A feeling of skipped or extra beats
- Awareness of the heartbeat at rest or at night
- Sometimes with dizziness, breathlessness or chest discomfort
02Causes & Risk Factors
- Stress, anxiety or strong emotion
- Caffeine, alcohol or nicotine
- Exercise or fever
- Heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation
- Thyroid problems
- Certain medications
03When To See A Cardiologist
See a cardiologist if palpitations are frequent, prolonged, or come with chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness or fainting. Learning the cause, and the tests for it, provides reassurance and protects your heart. Fainting or severe chest pain with palpitations needs urgent attention.
04Treatment Approaches At CCI
Evaluation focuses on capturing the rhythm during a palpitation episode, using an ambulatory ECG or, for infrequent symptoms, an implantable loop recorder. Treatment depends on the cause, reassurance and lifestyle change for benign palpitations, or specific therapy such as catheter ablation for an arrhythmia.
05Diagnostic Tests & Procedures
Tests and treatments Dr Lee may recommend for this condition:
Frequently Asked Questions
Are heart palpitations serious?
Most palpitations are harmless. However, because some are caused by treatable rhythm disorders, it is worth having persistent or symptomatic palpitations assessed.
Why do palpitations happen at night?
When you are still and quiet, you simply notice your heartbeat more. Caffeine, alcohol and stress can also make night-time palpitations more common.
Get an expert heart assessment
Early diagnosis makes a real difference. Book a consultation with Dr Lee Chee Wan at Cardiac Centre International.
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