What Do Heart Palpitations Feel Like?
Updated June 16, 2026
Key Takeaways:
Heart palpitations are the sensation of a racing, fluttering, pounding or irregular heartbeat, felt in the chest, throat or neck. They are common and usually harmless, often triggered by stress, caffeine, exercise, alcohol, hormonal changes or certain medications. However, palpitations can also indicate underlying heart conditions such as arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation or heart failure. Emergency care should be sought if palpitations are accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting. A cardiologist should be consulted if palpitations are frequent, worsening, or occur alongside risk factors for heart disease. Lifestyle changes including regular exercise, dietary adjustments, stress reduction, and limiting stimulants and alcohol can help reduce or prevent palpitations.
If you’ve ever felt like your heart is racing or skipping a beat, you’ve experienced heart palpitations. Although they can be scary, especially the first time you experience them, heart palpitations aren’t usually a cause for concern. While heart palpitations are common, they can occur due to a wide range of causes. Understanding what they feel like, and when they may be a sign of a heart condition, can ensure you seek treatment when necessary.
What Heart Palpitations Feel Like
People often describe heart palpitations as a heartbeat that is:
- Pounding
- Fluttering
- Irregular
- Flip-flopping
- Beating too fast
- Skipping beats
- Having extra beats
In addition to feeling heart palpitations in your chest, you might feel them in the throat or neck, sometimes even in the head.
What Are Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations are a subjective symptom defined by the way you feel about your heartbeat. You could be having heart palpitations if you notice any of the heartbeat feelings listed above. They might be actual irregularities in your heartbeat, or they might be a perception that your heart is beating irregularly, even if it’s not.
The only way to tell the difference – and determine if any irregular heartbeat is a cause for concern – is with heart monitoring.
What Causes Heart Palpitations
There are many potential causes of heart palpitations. Most are not serious. Some of these you can control, while others are beyond your control. Possible causes of heart palpitations include:
- Heart conditions
- Low blood sugar
- Strenuous exercise
- Stress, anxiety, or panic attacks
- Stimulants, such as:
- Caffeine
- Nicotine
- Cocaine
- Amphetamines
- Pseudoephedrine
- Opioids like heroin and fentanyl
- Other medications
- Alcohol
- Illness and fever
- Hormone changes linked to menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause
- Thyroid disorders
- Certain foods
Heart conditions associated with heart palpitations include heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and some types of tachycardia. Structural heart problems and heart failure can also cause heart palpitations. When palpitations occur frequently, you should see a cardiologist to rule out these types of heart conditions.
Common Situations When Heart Palpitations Are Experienced
Heart palpitations can occur at many different times, including:
- After Eating – There are many different foods which can potentially trigger heart palpitations, and it’s common to experience this symptom after meals.
- During Exercise – Vigorous cardio exercise, such as high-intensity interval training, can cause your heart to beat faster and harder, which may be experienced as palpitations.
- During Periods of Anxiety – Your body’s fight-or-flight response gets activated when you’re feeling anxiety, and this can cause a surge of adrenaline which may trigger heart palpitations.
- At Night – Heart palpitations are common when lying down at night. In particular, sleeping on your side can increase pressure in your body, which may trigger palpitations. They may also be more noticeable at night since you’re not as busy or distracted as during the day.
- During Pregnancy – Pregnancy causes your heart rate and the amount of blood being pumped through your body to increase in order provide the proper nutrients for the baby. This may be experienced as heart palpitations.
When Should I Worry About Heart Palpitations?
In most situations, heart palpitations are harmless. This is generally the case when they’re caused by factors such as stress, caffeine, exercise or hormonal changes. It’s not always necessary to seek care for short, occasional heart palpitations. However, you should seek emergency care if you also experience:
- Pain or discomfort in your chest, arm, or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Fainting
You should consult with a cardiologist if:
- Heart palpitations occur frequently or last longer than usual
- Heart palpitations worsen
- You have a personal or family history of heart disease
- You have risk factors such as obesity, smoking or high cholesterol which might indicate that your heart palpitations are a sign of underlying heart problems
- You notice a sudden change in the frequency or intensity of heart palpitations
Your cardiologist may recommend monitoring to learn more about what’s causing your palpitations.
Lifestyle Changes Can Help Reduce or Prevent Heart Palpitations
In many instances, making certain lifestyle changes can help to reduce or prevent heart palpitations. Getting regular cardiovascular exercise is a great way to strengthen your heart and reduce palpitations. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week; however, avoid activities that typically worsen your symptoms. In addition, practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing can help reduce stress-induced heart palpitations.
Making dietary adjustments is one of the most impactful steps you can take to reduce heart palpitations:
- Eat a heart healthy diet containing plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Avoid processed foods, as well as foods containing excessive levels of salt, sugar and unhealthy fats.
- Identify trigger foods that tend to cause you to develop heart palpitations.
- If you’re diabetic, adjust your diet to more effectively manage your blood sugar levels.
Other lifestyle adjustments you can make include:
- Getting more sleep each night (aim for 7-9 hours a night)
- Limiting alcohol intake
- Reducing your consumption of stimulants such as caffeine
- Quitting smoking
It’s also a good idea to keep a journal of the activities, foods, medications and emotional states that typically trigger heart palpitations. This can help you understand which lifestyle adjustments will have the greatest impact on reducing the frequency of your palpitations.
A Comprehensive Cardiology Approach to Heart Palpitations in South Denver
If you have regular heart palpitations or a personal or family history of heart disease, it’s essential to talk to a cardiologist. However, you might also want to speak to a cardiologist simply for reassurance about the health of your heart.
At South Denver Cardiology, we take a comprehensive approach to all heart conditions, including heart palpitations. We want to help you figure out what’s causing your heart palpitations and recommend an appropriate treatment to eliminate them and head off any serious complications such as heart failure or stroke.
We start by taking the time to listen to you. We want to make sure we understand the situation where heart palpitations occurred and identify any potential causes of heart palpitations. We take your experience seriously and will recommend heart monitoring when appropriate. Other times, we might recommend some of the lifestyle changes discussed above.
Please contact us today to request an appointment with South Denver Cardiology. We serve patients in Denver, Littleton and the surrounding areas.
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