Sometimes, you may feel like your heart skipped a beat, added a beat "fluttering," or is beating too fast (which doctors call tachycardia) or too slow (called bradycardia). Or, you might not notice anything, since some arrhythmias are “silent”. This is
known as a cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), which is among the most common heart disorders.
Heart palpitations are a relatively common and usually harmless condition that the heart feels. While concerning, palpitations usually are harmless. However, in some cases they may indicate a more serious heart condition, like a heart rhythm disorder,
which requires treatment. Heart palpitations account for 16 percent of symptoms that cause patients to go to their primary care doctor, second only to chest pain as the reason patients seek cardiologyevaluation.1-3
1. Mayou R. Chest pain, palpitations and panic. J Psychosom Res.1998;44:53-70. 2. Kroenke K, Arringon ME, Mangelsdroff AD. The prevalence of symptoms in medical outpatients and the adequacy of therapy. Arch Intern Med. 1990;150:1685-9. 3. Knudson MP.
The natural history of palpitations in a family practice. J Fam Pract.1987;24:357-60.
Play the video to see the difference in heart RHYTHMS