Palpitations

Most of the time, the heart goes about its business pumping blood with no notice at all. However, on occasion, heart palpitations will occur. Heart palpitations take place when a person is aware of their own rapidly beating or pounding heart. Most of the time, they go away soon and are not considered serious.

There are a variety of causes of heart palpitations. These causes can include:
Caffeine, nicotine, or illegal drugs
Exercise
Anxiety or stress
Anemia (low levels of iron in the blood)
Hyperventilation
Certain medications (thyroid pills and beta blockers are common causes of palpitations) and supplements

Certain medical conditions, like heart disease or mitral valve prolapse (when the valves separating the heart chambers do not close properly)

Other Heart Irregularities
Other irregularities with the beating of the heart are tachycardia, bradycardia, and arrhythmia. Tachycardia occurs when the heart beats extremely fast, or over 100 beats per minute. Bradycardia is when the heart beats abnormally slow, or under 55 beats per minute. Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. While not generally considered serious, when coupled with an arrhythmia, heart palpitations can be cause for alarm.

What to Do If You Have Heart Palpitations
If you are experiencing heart palpitations, there are several things you can do to reduce them. Deep breathing exercises can help regulate the heart beat and reduce palpitations by reducing stress.

If the heart palpitations increase in frequency and become a cause of concern to you, visit your doctor. He will help you determine the cause and severity. If they are not a serious problem, healthcare professionals will often recommend you either ignore them or practice deep breathing exercises.

When to Call the Doctor
In some cases, palpitations can be cause for concern. If you faint or if you feel a short ness of breath, dizziness, or chest pain, seek medical attention immediately.

Palpitations should not be ignored if the following conditions apply:
You experience heart palpitations and you suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, or other forms of heart disease.
You commonly feel extra heartbeats
You experience a very high pulse, over 100 beats per minute.

What the Doctor Will Do
If you go to the doctor for tests concerning your palpitations, you can expect an examination while your doctor determines your medical history. He may ask you how often you experience palpitations, how it feels (racing, fluttering, etc.), or whether you feel skipped or even stopped heartbeats. He may also ask you if you have high levels of stress or anxiety, or when your palpitations occur (ie, during a stressful or traumatic situation, when resting, when exercising, etc.) in order to determine the cause.

He or she will also most likely conduct a series of tests. These could include an EKG, an echocardiogram, or he may have you wear a heart monitor to track your heart's behavior for a number of weeks in order to determine the cause.

How You Can Prevent Palpitations
One obvious way to prevent palpitations is to avoid illegal street drugs, such as cocaine or meth. These will almost certainly cause heart palpitations and other forms of heart disease and can easily lead to death.
If you experience palpitations on a frequent basis, stop the use of caffeine and nicotine. This might cure them.
Avoid herbal supplements unless approved by your doctor. Inform your doctor if you begin taking prescription medication that causes palpitations.