A pounding, fluttering or racing heart that you can suddenly feel in your chest, throat or neck is called a palpitation. It is usually harmless and linked to anxiety, caffeine or lack of sleep, but because the heart is involved, it should never be ignored if it comes with other symptoms. This guide explains the common causes, the warning signs that need urgent care, and the homeopathic medicines traditionally considered for palpitations.
Palpitations: quick answers
- What are they? An awareness of your heartbeat, felt as pounding, fluttering, racing or skipped beats.
- Common causes: Anxiety and panic, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, lack of sleep, fever, anaemia, an overactive thyroid and some medicines.
- Heart causes: Irregular rhythms such as atrial fibrillation or fast rhythms such as SVT, and some heart valve or muscle problems.
- Emergency signs: Palpitations with chest pain, fainting, severe breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat that does not settle need urgent care.
- Homeopathy: Offered as supportive care only after a heart check; never as a substitute for heart treatment.
About palpitations
Most people become aware of their heartbeat from time to time, for example after exercise, during a fright or when anxious. Palpitations are not a disease; they are a symptom that can come from the heart or from many other conditions. The heartbeat may feel fast (racing), slow and strong (pounding), irregular, or as if the heart has skipped or added a beat.
The commonest triggers are everyday ones: stress and anxiety, panic attacks, too much tea, coffee or energy drinks, smoking, alcohol, dehydration, lack of sleep, heavy meals, fever, and hormonal changes in pregnancy and menopause. Medical causes include anaemia, an overactive thyroid, low blood sugar, and certain medicines, such as decongestants and asthma inhalers.
Palpitations can also be a sign of an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia), such as atrial fibrillation or supraventricular tachycardia, or of heart valve disease or a weak heart muscle. Because these need treatment, a first episode, frequent palpitations or any with warning signs should be assessed with an ECG and, if needed, a Holter monitor, echocardiogram and blood tests.
Common symptoms of palpitations
Symptoms vary from person to person. Common ones include:
- A pounding, thumping or fluttering sensation in the chest, throat or neck
- A racing heartbeat, even at rest
- A feeling that the heart skips a beat or has an extra beat
- Awareness of the heartbeat when lying on the left side or in a quiet room
- Anxiety, sweating, dizziness or light-headedness during an episode
- Breathlessness or chest discomfort, which needs medical attention
Causes and risk factors of palpitations
There is rarely a single cause. Factors that may contribute include:
- Anxiety, stress, panic attacks and strong emotions
- Caffeine from tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks, and nicotine
- Alcohol and recreational drugs
- Lack of sleep, fever and dehydration
- Anaemia, an overactive thyroid, low blood sugar and low potassium
- Hormonal changes in pregnancy, periods and menopause
- Medicines such as decongestants, asthma inhalers and thyroid tablets in excess
- Heart rhythm disorders, valve disease and heart muscle disease
When to see a doctor
Palpitations that are brief and occur only with stress or caffeine are usually harmless, but have them checked, especially the first time. Go to an emergency department immediately if palpitations come with:
- Chest pain, pressure or tightness
- Fainting, near-fainting or severe dizziness
- Marked breathlessness or difficulty breathing
- A very fast heartbeat that does not settle within a few minutes of rest, or an irregular one that continues
- A history of heart disease, or a family history of sudden cardiac death at a young age
- Sweating, pallor or weakness with the palpitations
Wondering which of these medicines is right for you?
Every person with palpitations is different, and so is the medicine that works best for them. To discover the best-suited homeopathic medicines for palpitations for you, consult our experts. They will study your symptoms, your past treatment history and your personality, and then find the homeopathy medicines that suit you best.
Call +91 8080 850 950 for a 1:1 personal consultation with our experts today.
Homeopathic medicines for palpitations
The medicines below are commonly considered in homeopathy for palpitations, with the symptom picture traditionally associated with each. They are listed for general information, not as a prescription.
(1) Aconite napellus: Sudden, violent palpitations with great fear and restlessness, a feeling of impending death, and a hard, full pulse, especially after a fright.
(2) Gelsemium sempervirens: Palpitations from emotional excitement or anticipation, such as before an examination or interview, with trembling and weakness.
(3) Ignatia amara: Nervous palpitations after grief, disappointment or emotional shock, with sighing, a lump in the throat and changeable moods.
(4) Spigelia anthelmia: Violent, visible palpitations with sharp, stitching pain in the left chest, worse on movement and on bending forwards, with neuralgic pains.
(5) Lachesis muta: Palpitations with a feeling of constriction in the chest and throat, worse on waking and during menopause, with a talkative nature.
(6) Natrum muriaticum: Fluttering palpitations, worse when lying on the left side, in reserved people with a history of grief, with headaches and salt cravings.
(7) Phosphorus: Palpitations with anxiety and a fear of thunderstorms, being alone or of the dark, in sensitive people who feel better with company.
(8) Lilium tigrinum: Palpitations with a feeling as if the heart is being grasped or squeezed, in women with hormonal complaints and a hurried, anxious manner.
(9) Cactus grandiflorus: Palpitations with a sense of constriction around the heart as if an iron band is closing in, worse lying on the left side.
(10) Arsenicum album: Anxious, restless palpitations with weakness, chilliness and anxiety about health, worse after midnight.
Homeopathic treatment of palpitations at Welling Homeopathy
These are only basic indications – many more homeopathic medicines are used for palpitations, and the right one is chosen after detailed case-taking by an experienced doctor.
Homeopathy is offered as supportive care for palpitations linked to anxiety and stress. Reliable scientific evidence that it treats heart rhythm problems is lacking, so please have your heart checked first. Never stop heart medicines, and never treat chest pain, fainting or severe breathlessness at home.
To find out about our care for this condition, see a consultation at a Welling clinic, contact a Welling clinic or call +91 80 80 850 950 for a consultation in person or online.
Self-care and lifestyle tips
These measures support general health and may ease symptoms, but they do not replace treatment when it is needed.
- See a doctor for an ECG and basic blood tests (haemoglobin, thyroid, blood sugar and electrolytes) when you first have palpitations.
- Cut down on tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks, alcohol and smoking, and see whether your episodes lessen.
- Keep a diary of when palpitations occur, how long they last and what you were doing, and take it to your doctor.
- Learn slow breathing, relaxation, yoga or meditation to calm the response to anxiety.
- Sleep 7 to 8 hours, stay hydrated, and avoid very heavy meals late at night.
- Exercise regularly at a comfortable pace, as advised by your doctor.
- If an episode begins, sit down, breathe slowly and bear down gently as your doctor may have taught you, and call for help if warning signs appear.
Frequently asked questions about palpitations
1. Are palpitations dangerous?
Most are harmless and caused by anxiety, caffeine or lack of sleep. But palpitations with chest pain, fainting or breathlessness, or in someone with heart disease, can be serious and need urgent evaluation.
2. Can anxiety cause palpitations?
Yes. Anxiety and panic release adrenaline, which makes the heart pound and race. Treating the anxiety usually reduces these episodes, but a heart check is still wise the first time.
3. What tests are done for palpitations?
Usually an ECG, blood tests for anaemia, thyroid and electrolytes, and sometimes a 24-hour or longer heart rhythm recording (Holter), an echocardiogram or an exercise test.
4. Can palpitations occur at night?
Yes. You may notice the heartbeat more in a quiet room, especially when lying on the left side. Alcohol, late meals, caffeine, sleep apnoea and anxiety can also trigger night-time palpitations.
5. Can homeopathy treat palpitations?
Homeopathic medicines are used as supportive care for palpitations related to anxiety and stress, but reliable scientific evidence is limited and they do not replace a heart evaluation or heart treatment.
6. Which foods trigger palpitations?
Caffeinated drinks, energy drinks, large heavy meals, sugary foods, alcohol and some supplements can trigger them in some people. A diary helps you find your triggers.
7. When should I see a cardiologist?
If your ECG is abnormal, if palpitations are frequent, long-lasting or come with other symptoms, or if you have heart disease or a family history of sudden death, ask your doctor for a cardiology review.
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- 5 Simple Tips To A Better Heart
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To consult Welling Homeopathy experts, call +91 80 80 850 950.
Disclaimer: this page is for information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Results vary from person to person.
