Heart Palpitation
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI
Worried about your symptoms?
Start the Heart Palpitation test with our free AI Symptom Checker.
This will help us personalize your assessment.
By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Try one of these related symptoms.
Heart palpitations
Irregular palpitations
Irregular heartbeat while resting
Heart is beating fast and regularly
My heart races when I exercise
Palpitation when breathing in
Heart beating fast with high blood pressure
Posture affects the heart rate
Heart rhythm has skipped beats
Palpitations when sleeping
Fitness related irregular heartbeats
Working causes my heart to start pounding or beating rapidly
About the Symptom
Palpitation is the feeling that the heartbeat is abnormal. Common descriptions include racing, pounding, fluttering, skipping, flip-flopping or irregular beating.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Feel the heart is pounding
Possible Causes
Generally, Heart palpitation can be related to:
- Long QT Syndrome
QT prolongation syndrome is a heart signaling disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats (arrhythmias). It can be present from birth or develop later in life due to certain medical conditions, specific drugs, or mineral imbalances.
- Benign Arrhythmias (Palpitations)
Arrhythmias are issues with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat, where it might beat too slowly, too fast, or with an irregular pattern. Benign arrhythmias are heartbeat irregularities that do not cause any symptoms. Causes include certain medications, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, inhaled aerosols, diet pills, stress, etc.
- Graves' Disease
A condition involving an overactive thyroid gland. It's a disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland and causes an overproduction of thyroid hormone. It is more common in women than men. Some symptoms include anxiety, weight loss, tremors, changes in menstrual cycles, increase in bowel movements, fatigue, and palpitations.
- Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Heart palpitation may be related to these serious diseases:
- Acute Myocarditis
Acute myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium). It can affect anyone but is more common in infants and teenagers. It can impact the heart's ability to pump blood effectively and may cause rapid or irregular heart rhythm. It's usually caused by a viral infection, and sometimes by drug reactions or autoimmune disorders.
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
- Supraventricular Tachycardia
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Hypoglycemia
- Epilepsy
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Is your heart pounding?
- When did you first notice your heart pounding?
- How often do you experience heart pounding?
- How is your heart pounding now?
- Do you experience more palpitations while working?
Reviewed By:
Osler Jay Justo Guzon, MD (Cardiology)
Dr. Guzon graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine with a BLA and MD. He then completed his Internal Medicine Residency at St. Louis University before a fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He has since working as an invasive cardiologist with a particular interest in preventative medicine and cardiometabolic disease. Over the past several years, Dr. Guzon has served on the speaker bureaus of AstraZeneca, Lilly, Boehringer-Ingelheim, and Aralez.
Tatsuya Shiraishi, MD (Cardiology)
Dr. Shiraishi graduated from the Kyoto University School of Medicine. He worked as a cardiologist at Edogawa Hospital, and after joining Ubie, he became the Director of East Nihonbashi Internal Medicine Clinic.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
Was this page helpful?
Tell your friends about us.
We would love to help them too.
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Try Free Symptom QuizHow Ubie Can Help You
With a free 3-min Heart Palpitation quiz, powered by Ubie's AI and doctors, find possible causes of your symptoms.
This questionnaire is customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:
Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.
Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.
History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.
Your symptoms
Our AI
Your report
Your personal report will tell you
✔ When to see a doctor
✔︎ What causes your symptoms
✔︎ Treatment information etc.
People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Feels like my heart keeps stopping
- Palpitations but it seldom happens and only a single beat is out of place
- Noticeable rapid, or irregular heartbeat (palpitations) during exertion
- Can't drink cola or coffee because it will cause palpitations
- Blood pressure was raised when the palpitations happened
- Palpitations occur or worsen when trying to fall asleep
- Irregular or pounding heartbeat if drinking alcohol
- Palpitations on my off days (non-working days)
- My heart pounds quickly at a constant rhythm
- Feel like my heart is beating fast and slow
- The pulse rhythm goes wrong when moving
- Abnormal heart rhythm lying on my back
- My heart pounds when I'm not working
- Heartbeat changes when breathing
- Can hear my heart beating
See full list
Find Similar Symptoms
Similar symptoms or complaints
Symptoms from similar body parts
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
FAQs
Q.
What Are Heart Palpitations and What Do They Feel Like?
A.
Heart palpitations are a sensation felt in your chest as though your heart was beating stronger or faster than usual.
References:
Govender I, Nashed KK, Rangiah S, Okeke S, Maphasha OM. Palpitations: Evaluation and management by primary care practitioners. S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2022 Feb 24;64(1):e1-e8. doi: 10.4102/safp.v64i1.5449. PMID: 35261258; PMCID: PMC8905373.
Q.
When Are Heart Palpitations Serious Enough to See a Doctor?
A.
If you experience chest discomfort, shortness of breath, a feeling like you might lose consciousness, or the palpitations seem to be getting worse, you should discuss with a health care provider.
References:
Govender I, Nashed KK, Rangiah S, Okeke S, Maphasha OM. Palpitations: Evaluation and management by primary care practitioners. S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2022 Feb 24;64(1):e1-e8. doi: 10.4102/safp.v64i1.5449. PMID: 35261258; PMCID: PMC8905373.
Q.
Is There a Way to Calm Down When You Feel Heart Palpitations From Anxiety or Stress?
A.
When experiencing heart palpitations due to anxiety or stress, there are effective techniques to help calm down. Practices such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness can significantly reduce symptoms and promote relaxation.
References:
Peng CK, Henry IC, Mietus JE, Hausdorff JM, Khalsa G, Benson H, Goldberger AL. Heart rate dynamics during three forms of meditation. Int J Cardiol. 2004 May;95(1):19-27. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2003.02.006. PMID: 15159033.
Dossett ML, Needles EW, Donahue Z, Gadenne G, Macklin EA, Ruskin JN, Denninger JW. A SMART approach to reducing paroxysmal atrial fibrillation symptoms: Results from a pilot randomized controlled trial. Heart Rhythm O2. 2021 Jun 22;2(4):326-332. doi: 10.1016/j.hroo.2021.06.003. PMID: 34430937; PMCID: PMC8369288.
Laborde S, Allen MS, Borges U, Dosseville F, Hosang TJ, Iskra M, Mosley E, Salvotti C, Spolverato L, Zammit N, Javelle F. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022 Jul;138:104711. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711. Epub 2022 May 24. PMID: 35623448.
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Our symptom checker AI is continuously refined with input from experienced physicians, empowering them to make more accurate diagnoses.
Ubie is recognized by healthcare and tech leaders
“World’s Best Digital
Health Companies”
Newsweek 2024
“Best With AI”
Google Play Best of 2023
“Best in Class”
Digital Health Awards 2023 (Quarterfinalist)
Which is the best Symptom Checker?
Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Goyal A, Robinson KJ, Katta S, Sanchack KE. Palpitation. 2022 Apr 25. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 28613787.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436016/Giada F, Raviele A. Clinical Approach to Patients with Palpitations. Card Electrophysiol Clin. 2018 Jun;10(2):387-396. doi: 10.1016/j.ccep.2018.02.010. PMID: 29784490.
https://www.cardiacep.theclinics.com/article/S1877-9182(18)30023-6/fulltext