What causes heart palpitations?

Answer 1

Heart palpitations are irregular or unusually quick beats of your heart. The heart may seem like it is vigorously beating out of the persons chest however in most cases this condition is not harmful but may be a sign of more intense heart issues. The causes of Palpitations are sometimes very hard work outs, an increase in anxiety or depression, or with females sometimes this may occur during menstruation or pregnancy.

Answer 2

Heart palpitations can be caused by a number of things. One being the person may be feeling a bit of anxiety, therefore resulting in the heart beating faster, a sense of feeling like your heart has stopped or even feeling a shortness of breath. Some doctors say that caffeine is one of the leading factors to cause heart palpitations, so then its highly recommended that the individual suffering from palpitations stop or reduce beverages such as coffee or sodas. Other causes of heart palpitation can be lack of sleep, the types of food you eat, or even the amount of alcohol one consumes; and most importantly stress.

The best way to determine that your palpitations aren't too serious is to of course consult a physician, have them perform an EKG and all necessary tests to rule out any heart problems. The high risk issues you should always be aware of are lightheadedness, palpitations with a shortness of breath, loss of consciousness and chest pain as these are extremely serious, however if just experiencing flip-flops or a slight irregularity the less you should be worried for that usually does no damage to the heart itself. ~ http://one2recognize2.wetpaint.com

Answer 3

Heart palpitations can be caused by a number of outside influences, and are not usually a serious concern unless they happen very frequently, continuously, the person experiencing them has a history of coronary problems, or if it is a symptom of arrhythmia. The normal causes of palpitations can include caffeine ingestion, anxiety, anemia, and certain medications that are prescribed to treat the heart, Asthma, thyroid, or high blood pressure. Other causes include strenuous exercise, use of illegal street drugs such as cocaine, using diet pills, and hyperventilation.

Answer 4

There can be many causes, it would be best to see your doctor, but some back ground information can be found at this site: http://www.medicinenet.com/palpitations/article.htm