Three Long-Term Health Conditions That May Lead to Heart Palpitations

When you feel scared, your heart may skip a few beats or race after drinking coffee. These instances of heart palpitations are normal and pose no harm. However, if you frequently experience heart palpitations without a clear cause, it may be necessary to investigate further as it could potentially indicate a more serious health problem.

At our practice, which focuses on heart health, Dr. James Kim and our team often encounter individuals who are dealing with heart palpitations. In fact, nationwide, heart palpitations are the second most common reason for visits to a cardiologist. While we hope that your heart palpitations are harmless, we want to discuss three significant heart-related conditions that may involve heart palpitations as one of their symptoms.

A Note on Heart Palpitations

Heart palpitations can occur due to various reasons, impacting both cardiovascular and mental health. In essence, palpitations feel like your heart is:

• Skipping
• Racing
• Flopping
• Fluttering

These sensations are often felt in your chest and may extend to your throat and neck.

Non-cardiac causes of heart palpitations include panic attacks, excessive caffeine, thyroid disorders, and pregnancy.

Cardiac Causes of Heart Palpitations

As a cardiology clinic, we focus on chronic heart conditions that often present with heart palpitations as a key symptom, such as:

1. Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias, an irregular heartbeat, are a common cardiovascular cause of heart palpitations. They can cause your heart to beat too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly, and these episodes can be either persistent or occasional. Some of the more common arrhythmias include:

• Atrial fibrillation
• Atrial flutter
• Ventricular fibrillation
• Ventricular tachycardia

Approximately 5% of the population experiences arrhythmias.

2. Valvular disease

Your heart contains four valves that open and close to regulate blood flow. When one of these valves malfunctions, it can cause heart palpitations. These palpitations often feel like your heart is racing or skipping beats.

3. Heart failure

Heart failure is a serious and progressive condition where the heart increasingly struggles to pump blood efficiently. Among its many symptoms, such as fatigue and shortness of breath, heart palpitations are also common.

There are many heart-related conditions that can cause palpitations, but we hope this overview provides valuable insight. If you’re experiencing ongoing heart palpitations, it’s important to visit us so we can diagnose the problem.

With targeted tests like blood tests and an echocardiogram, we can determine if there’s an issue with your cardiovascular health and start you on a treatment plan right away.

Please contact us at our offices in Chula Vista or National City, California, for expert diagnosis of your heart palpitations and to schedule an appointment.