What causes a palpitation?

Whether temporary or permanent, a medical consultation is always more cautious when palpitations. The causes are many and must be sought, but in most cases, the origins are not always as severe stress, fear and anxiety are the most common.

Normally, the heart beats with a regular rhythm and the beats are seen only during palpation of the pulse.

There is a throbbing subject feels when his heart beats abnormally, for a few seconds to a few minutes. The beating heart felt change of pace and become more rapid and irregular. According to the characteristics of the heart and associated signs rhythms, palpitations can be symptoms of a disease or appear in a particular context. In these cases, additional tests are needed to detect the exact cause.

The search for causes is an important step to establish an appropriate management. The need for additional tests shall vary according to the characteristics of palpitations: the frequency of episodes, the context of appearance (living environment, relationally, conflict, work, ...), the duration of the episodes. The interview is very important. The ECG is the most commonly prescribed examination.

In most cases, palpitations occur without obvious cause or in the context of stress and anxiety. They may be accompanied by chest pain or shortness of breath.

Heart disease are also very common causes and require taking more specific charge, with a visit to the cardiologist.

Palpitations are usually benign, but even if transient palpitations, a medical consultation is always helpful to not to miss any serious illness. It is particularly advisable to consult a doctor when palpitations are associated with other alarming signs such as loss of consciousness, fever, respiratory disorders, a history of heart disease or any other form of discomfort.