Palpitations
Heart palpitations are heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable.
Your heart may feel like it's pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for just a few seconds or minutes.You may also feel these sensations in your throat or neck.
Palpitations may seemalarming, but in most cases they're harmless and aren't a sign of a serious problem.
Sometimes you may feel an extra or missed beat. These are known as ectopic beats andare also usuallynothing to worry about.
This page summarises some of the possible causes of palpitations and suggests when to see your GP and when to get emergency help .
Read out about the main causes of heart palpitations and ectopic beats and find out when to get medical advice.
Causes ofheart palpitations include: lifestyle triggers emotions and psychological triggers medication hormone changes heart rhythm problems heart conditions other medical conditi
You don't usuallyneed to see your GP ifthepalpitations pass quickly and occur only occasionally. They're unlikely to be caused by a serious problem and probably won'tneed treatment. But it's a good i
Call 999 for an ambulance or visit your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department if you have heart palpitations and any of the following symptoms: severeshortness of breath chest pain o