> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sonohealth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Heart Palpitations: Common Causes and When to Seek Care

> Why your heart skips, races, or flutters, which palpitations are usually harmless, the warning signs that need urgent care, and how a home EKG can help.

That sudden flip, flutter, or pounding in your chest — a palpitation — can be unsettling, but it's often harmless. Knowing the common triggers, and the warning signs that aren't, helps you respond calmly and appropriately.

<Warning>
  Seek urgent care if palpitations come with chest pain, fainting or near-fainting, severe shortness of breath, or if they are sustained or rapidly recurring. When in doubt about chest symptoms, call 911.
</Warning>

## What do palpitations feel like?

People describe palpitations as a skipped beat, an extra or "flip-flop" beat, a racing or pounding heart, or a fluttering sensation. Many are caused by **premature beats**, which are common and usually benign in people with otherwise healthy hearts.

## Common, usually harmless triggers

* **Caffeine** and energy drinks
* **Stress and anxiety** — a very frequent cause
* **Lack of sleep** and fatigue
* **Nicotine** and **alcohol**
* **Dehydration**
* Intense exercise or the recovery period afterward

Cutting back on triggers often reduces how often palpitations occur.

## When palpitations need evaluation

Even if individual episodes feel minor, see a doctor if palpitations are **frequent, prolonged, or worsening**, or if you have a history of heart disease. Get **emergency** care if they're accompanied by chest pain, fainting, or severe breathlessness — these can signal a more serious rhythm problem like [atrial fibrillation](/ekg/atrial-fibrillation) or another condition.

## How a home EKG helps

Palpitations are notoriously hard to catch in a doctor's office because they come and go. Recording a [single-lead EKG](/ekg/overview) trace **during** an episode — plus noting when it happened, how long it lasted, and what you were doing — gives your doctor objective information. The SonoHealth EKGraph is built for exactly this kind of in-the-moment capture you can share later.

## Track it for your doctor

Keep a simple log of episodes and triggers alongside any EKG recordings. Patterns often emerge that help guide evaluation — and remember to seek emergency care for chest pain or fainting rather than waiting to record.

***

**Related:** [Home EKG Monitoring](/ekg/overview) · [Atrial Fibrillation Explained](/ekg/atrial-fibrillation) · [Normal Heart Rate and Rhythm](/ekg/normal-heart-rate-rhythm) · [Magnesium and Palpitations](/magnesium/benefits-stress)