Heart palpitations feel like your heart is pounding or racing. Sometimes it feels like your heart has missed a beat and you can feel your pulse racing in your neck and chest. They are typically short-lived and may occur at any time. Even though the cause is not clear in many cases, it is usually not life-threatening.
There is no specific treatment for heart palpitations, but following some of the tips here can help you stop them or reduce the frequency of them. These work best when the palpitations are caused by stress and lifestyle factors, not underlying medical conditions. If your palpitations are caused by a disease, you should see a doctor first.
Here are some ways to stop heart palpitations whenever you experience them:
Perform Relaxation Techniques
Often, heart palpitations are caused or worsened by stress. Stress causes your adrenaline levels to shoot up and can make your heart beat faster. This effect is most noticeable in fight-or-flight situations where you are terrified, but even less pronounced stress can induce heart palpitations.
Managing or reducing this stress is important when trying to stop heart palpitations. Several relaxation techniques can help you stop feeling stressed and improve your condition. [1] Yoga, tai chi, meditation, journaling, deep breathing routines, change of scenery, are among the most common activities that can help you become less stressed.
While it is important to destress when you have heart palpitations, it is also important to work on reducing your stress even when you do not have palpitations. This can help reduce how often you get palpitations. Take some time to rest and practice relaxation techniques every day for a few minutes or hours.