What Does a Heart Palpitation Feel Like?

A heart palpitation may feel like a skipped heartbeat, the heart is beating faster than normal, the heart is pounding in your chest, and fluttering in the chest or neck.

Heart palpitations are a type of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) in which there is a change in the heart’s sequence of electrical impulses. 

A heart palpitation may feel like:

• A skipped heartbeat
• The heart is beating faster than normal
• The heart is pounding in your chest
• Fluttering in the chest or neck

See a doctor immediately if you experience a heart palpitation and:

• Chest pain or pressure 
• Shortness of breath 
• Difficulty breathing
• Lightheadedness
• Fainting or near-fainting spells
• Dizziness
• Weakness 
• Confusion
• Anxiety 
• Leg swelling
• Excessive sweating
• Fatigue
• Symptoms persist or frequently return
• You have certain underlying medical conditions such as: 
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Congestive heart failure 
  • Cardiomyopathy 
  • Family history of heart disease
  • Abnormal heart valve
  • Heart attack
• Collapse and sudden cardiac arrest 
  • Cardiac arrest is a serious medical emergency and can be fatal
  • If someone you know is experiencing the symptoms listed below call 911 and get to a hospital’s emergency department immediately: 
    • Sudden loss of responsiveness 
    • Abnormal breathing (gasping for air or not breathing at all)