Feeling your heartbeat — fast, pounding, or skipping — is called palpitations and is very common. Frequent triggers include stress and anxiety, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, exercise, fever, dehydration, and some cold or asthma medicines. Hormonal changes and an overactive thyroid can also cause them. Often they last seconds to minutes and settle on their own.
See a doctor if palpitations are frequent, last a long time, are becoming more noticeable, or you have a history of heart problems. A clinician may check your heart rhythm, thyroid, and blood count to find a cause.
Call your local emergency number if palpitations come with chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting or near-fainting, or if your heart is racing very fast and will not slow down. These can indicate a heart-rhythm problem that needs prompt treatment. This is general information only, not a diagnosis.