Palpitations

Palpitations make you feel like your heart is beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, or fluttering. You may notice heart palpitations in your chest, throat, or neck.
They can be bothersome or frightening. They usually aren't serious or harmful, though, and often go away on their own. Most of the time, they're caused by stress and anxiety, or because you’ve had too much caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. They can also happen when you’re pregnant.
In rare cases, palpitations can be a sign of a more serious heart condition. If you have heart palpitations, see your doctor. Get immediate medical attention if they come with:

You may:

• Have an unpleasant awareness of your own heartbeat
• Feel like your heart skipped or stopped beats

The heart's rhythm may be normal or abnormal when you have palpitations.

Considerations

Normally the heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute. The rate may drop below 60 beats per minute in people who exercise routinely or take medicines that slow the heart.
If your heart rate is fast (over 100 beats per minute), this is called tachycardia. A heart rate slower than 60 is called bradycardia. An occasional extra heartbeat out of rhythm is known as extrasystole.
Palpitations are not serious most of the time. Sensations representing an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) may be more serious.

The following conditions make you more likely to have an abnormal heart rhythm:

• Known heart disease at the time the palpitations begin
• Significant risk factors for heart disease
• An abnormal heart valve
• An electrolyte abnormality in your blood -- for example, a low potassium level