Editing Palpitations (section)

==Signs and symptoms==
{{Listen|filename=Premature ventricular contractions, recorded on cardiac event monitor.ogg|title=PVC (a type of palpitation) recording|description=An audio clip recording of a [[Premature ventricular contraction|PVC]] symptom, made with a cardiac event monitor.|format=[[Ogg]]}}

{{Listen|filename=|title=Auscultation of a patient with a very arrhythmic heartbeat|description=Recording of heart sounds from a 16 year old girl experiencing severe heart palpitations, as heard through a stethoscope.|pos=[[wav]]}}

Three common descriptions of ''palpitation'' are:
*"flip-flopping" (or "stop and start") is often caused by premature contraction of the atrium or ventricle. The pause after the contraction causes the "stop." The "start" comes from the next forceful contraction.<ref name=":1" />
*rapid "fluttering in the chest" suggests arrhythmias. Regular "fluttering" points to supraventricular or [[ventricular arrhythmias]], including [[sinus tachycardia]]. Irregular "fluttering" suggests [[atrial fibrillation]], atrial flutter, or tachycardia with variable block.<ref name="Robinson Sanchack 2019" />
*"pounding in the neck" or neck pulsations, often due to [[cannon A waves]] in the [[jugular vein]]. These occur when the [[right atrium]] contracts against a closed [[tricuspid valve]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Indik |first1=Julia H. |year=2010 |title=When Palpitations Worsen |journal=The American Journal of Medicine |volume=123 |issue=6 |pages=517–519 |doi=10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.01.012 |pmid=20569756}}</ref>

Palpitations often come with other symptoms. Knowing these links can help determine if they are dangerous or harmless. However, these links are not definitive and should be evaluated by a licensed healthcare provider to ensure an accurate diagnosis and proper care.

Palpitations associated with chest discomfort or [[chest pain]] suggests [[coronary artery disease]].<ref name=":2" /> Palpitation associated with light-headedness, [[syncope (medicine)|fainting]] or near fainting suggest [[hypotension|low blood pressure]] and may signify a life-threatening [[cardiac dysrhythmia]]. Palpitation that occurs regularly with exertion suggests a rate-dependent bypass tract or [[hypertrophic cardiomyopathy]].

If a benign cause for these symptoms isn't found at the first visit, then prolonged heart monitoring at home or in the hospital setting may be needed. Noncardiac symptoms should also be elicited since the palpitations may be caused by a normal heart responding to a metabolic or inflammatory condition.<ref name=":1" /> Weight loss could suggest [[hyperthyroidism]]. Palpitation can be precipitated by [[vomiting]] or diarrhea that leads to electrolyte disorders and [[hypovolemia]]. [[Hyperventilation]], hand tingling, and nervousness are common when [[Anxiety disorder|anxiety]] or [[panic disorder]] is the cause of the palpitations.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jamshed|first1=N|last2=Dubin|first2=J|last3=Eldadah|first3=Z|title=Emergency management of palpitations in the elderly: epidemiology, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic options|journal=Clinics in Geriatric Medicine|date=February 2013|volume=29|issue=1|pages=205–230|pmid=23177608|doi=10.1016/j.cger.2012.10.003}}</ref>