Heart palpitations are defined as "the feelings of having rapid, fluttering or pounding heart." Heart palpitations can feel like your heart is:
Skipping beats
Fluttering
Beating very fast when it shouldn't
Pounding harder than usual
Heart palpitations may be felt in the chest as well as in throat or neck or ears especially when lying down. They can occur during physical activity or at rest, and whether you're standing, seated or lying down.
Heart palpitations can trigger anxiety and worry but they're usually benign. Common causes of heart palpitations include:
Stress, anxiety or panic attacks
Strenuous exercise
High Caffeine intake
Nicotine
Fever
Hormonal variations associated with menstruation or, pregnancy
Medications: such as cold and cough medications that contain pseudoephedrine, a stimulant, or asthma inhaler medications that contain stimulants
In rare instances, heart palpitations can be a sign of an underlying serious problem, such as anemia, an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Arrhythmias may include very fast heart rates (tachycardia), unusually slow heart rates (bradycardia) or an irregular heart rhythm.
You're young age and the fact that you're otherwise healthy (I'm assuming) is reassuring but I'd still recommend that you get examined by a physician to check the regularity of your heart rate, obtain a heart tracing (electrocardiogram ECG), and run a few tests to make sure you don't have anemia or hyperthyroidism. If all is normal, then you may be experiencing these symptoms due to stress. Should these symptoms recur in the future, a longer monitoring of the heart may become necessary.
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It is recommended that all individuals see a Family Doctor for a full medical examination annually. Adults should get their blood pressure checked (US Preventive Task Force), a flu vaccine (CDC) and more each year.
The American Dental Association recommends dental cleanings for adults at least twice annually. Some stains can only be removed by a professional cleaning.
It’s recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology that every adult between the ages of 18 and 80 does an eye examination at least once every two years.
It's recommended by the American Cancer Association that every adult between the age of 20 and 80 does an annual skin screening by a licensed dermatologist.
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