Overview
Heart palpitations [1] can feel like your heart is beating too fast, fluttering, or pounding against your chest. Sometimes it may feel like your heart skipped a beat or added an extra beat. When you have heart palpitations, you become more conscious of each heartbeat.
Palpitations can feel scary, but they are quite common and usually harmless [2]. They typically last only a few seconds or minutes before resolving on their own. In rarer cases, they are signs of serious underlying health problems. See a doctor if you have frequent heart palpitations that take a long time to resolve or if you experience them along with other symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness.
This article explores some of the most common triggers. Read on to learn about them.