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5 Common Causes of Heart Palpitations & When to See a Doctor

June 23, 2025

Heart palpitations don’t usually occur often for most people, but when they do happen, they can be a bit alarming. When should a palpitation be a cause for real concern?

That’s a great question—and a common one! Most people experience an occasional heart palpitation every once in a blue moon. If you’ve ever had one, your first indicator might be that you’re even noticing your heartbeat in the first place.

Tommy Miller, III, MD, FACC
Dr. Tommy Miller, West Tennessee Medical Group Cardiology

When the heart is functioning optimally, it beats between 60 and 100 times per minute, varying due to a number of factors, including whether you’re at rest or up and moving around. During daily life, you probably don’t pay much attention to your heart rate.

But when you experience a heart palpitation, it might strike you as out of the ordinary. How can you know whether that irregular heartbeat is a sign of something serious or not?

Tommy Miller III, MD, interventional cardiologist with West Tennessee Medical Group Cardiology, shares some insight below.

Making Sense of Heart Palpitations

First, let’s talk about what heart palpitations are. You’ve probably experienced one a time or two, even if you didn’t realize that’s what it was.

A heart palpitation is the sensation that your heart is racing or pounding. While you usually feel that in your chest, you may also feel that weird pulse in your throat or neck. Sometimes, it may even feel like you’ve skipped a beat.

The majority of the time, heart palpitations aren’t serious. They can occur for many different reasons, and your heart’s rhythm may even be completely normal when it feels like it’s out of whack.

The Causes of Heart Palpitations

There are many different causes of palpitations, and some of them might take you by surprise. Let’s talk through five common causes:

  • An intense workout. That’s right—getting your groove on in a workout session can sometimes cause your heart to beat a little wacky. For one thing, when you’re exercising, your heart rate is much higher than the range we listed above. When you’re exercising, you’re not only working out the muscles in your arms and legs; you’re also working out your heart muscle, which can alter the beat.
  • Dehydration. This pairs well with the intense workout listed above, but it can also apply to dehydration associated with hot weather or simply not drinking enough. When you’re severely dehydrated, the balance of electrolytes in your body can be thrown off, which is another known cause of heart palpitations. Low levels of magnesium and potassium, in particular, can be related to palpitations.
  • Crazy stress at work or at home. Feeling stressed or anxious? Heart palpitations can sometimes occur when you’re mentally or emotionally challenged. Sometimes palpitations are associated with having a panic attack, but they can also occur by themselves if you’re feeling overly stressed.
  • Your period. Hormonal changes, like those experienced by women throughout life, can trigger heart palpitations. These hormonal changes can occur during your period, during pregnancy, or during perimenopause, as levels of sex hormones dip and increase in the body.
  • Certain medications. If you’ve just begun taking a new medication and experience a heart palpitation, it could be related to the drug. Certain types of medication, including those for asthma, high blood pressure, allergies, and depression, are associated with heart palpitations. 

If you experience a heart palpitation, stop to consider what you were doing before the palpitation occurred and what’s happening in your life at the moment. In many cases, that can quickly identify palpitations related to your emotions, hormones, lifestyle habits, or medications.

When Heart Palpitations Need Medical Attention

While the five causes of palpitations listed above are usually quite innocuous, other underlying causes of heart palpitations are more serious. 

It’s important to listen to your body and get to know its normal rhythms. This will help you identify when you’re feeling something that’s outside your norm. 

If you experience a heart palpitation that’s not related to one of the causes listed above, pay close attention to what you’re feeling. One heart palpitation probably isn’t a reason for concern.

If you’re experiencing heart palpitations for an extended period of time, though, or if those palpitations are accompanied by any other disconcerting symptoms (like dizziness or shortness of breath), it’s time to check in with your primary care provider. 

You should also check in with your PCP or a cardiologist if you have a history of heart health issues. It’s always better to err on the side of caution.

And some symptoms are a sign you should seek emergency medical attention. If you experience palpitations along with severe shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, or fainting, seek immediate medical attention.

Conclusion

While many heart palpitations are fleeting and harmless, others can be related to serious heart health conditions, including arrhythmias, heart disease, mitral valve prolapse, and heart failure. You can also experience palpitations as the result of other health conditions, such as anemia, low blood pressure, or thyroid imbalances.

Seeking medical attention will allow you to be thoroughly checked out to determine the underlying cause of your heart palpitations and decide on any necessary treatment.

If your heart’s aflutter and you aren’t sure if it’s normal or not, it’s time for a checkup. Schedule an appointment today with a West Tennessee Medical Group cardiologist.