Heart palpitations all day: what to know

Heart palpitations lasting all day need medical advice, particularly when they are new, irregular, or accompanied by symptoms. The sensation may be linked to stress, caffeine, medicines, dehydration, fever, anaemia, thyroid activity, or a heart-rhythm change. Persistent awareness is not a diagnosis, so an examination and rhythm assessment are useful.

Describe whether your pulse feels continuously fast, intermittently forceful, or uneven. Check whether symptoms occur at rest, with movement, after caffeine, or during anxious moments. Generalised Anxiety Disorder can heighten body awareness and produce physical symptoms, but it should not be assumed without assessment. Anaemia or Iron Deficiency Anaemia may cause fatigue and breathlessness. Hyperthyroidism may cause racing, tremor, sweating, or heat intolerance. Atrial Fibrillation can cause an irregular pulse. Heart Failure may involve breathlessness, swelling, or reduced stamina. These conditions can present with palpitations; the symptom does not prove one of them.

Stop strenuous activity, sit somewhere cool, and drink water unless a clinician has told you to restrict fluids. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and non-prescribed stimulants while the episode continues. Make a simple log of pulse, rhythm, medicines, sleep, fluids, and associated symptoms. Contact a clinician promptly rather than waiting for repeated episodes to pass. They may perform an ECG, check blood pressure, and request blood tests or an ambulatory monitor to capture the rhythm.

Call emergency services for palpitations with chest pain or pressure, severe breathlessness, fainting, collapse, new confusion, or sudden marked weakness. Seek urgent assessment if the heartbeat remains very fast or irregular, particularly with dizziness. New breathlessness at rest, swelling of the legs, or difficulty lying flat also requires prompt attention because these can occur with Heart Failure. Do not drive if you feel faint or confused.

What rhythm do you hear or record during my symptoms? Should I have an ECG, blood count, thyroid tests, glucose testing, or a wearable monitor? Could any medicine or stimulant be contributing, and what should I do if the symptoms return?