What does palpitations feel like with anaemia?

You may notice your heartbeat in your chest, throat, or neck. It can feel fast, forceful, irregular, or as though the heart has skipped a beat. Anaemia reduces the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity, so the heart may beat harder or faster to supply tissues. Symptoms can become more noticeable with walking, climbing stairs, stress, or other exertion and may occur with tiredness, dizziness, headache, or breathlessness.

Palpitations have many possible causes, including rhythm problems, stimulants, fever, stress, and thyroid conditions. The sensation alone cannot establish anaemia.

Arrange an assessment if palpitations are new, recurrent, or affecting daily activities. Tell the clinician when they occur, how long they last, and whether they follow exertion or come with bleeding, heavy periods, dietary changes, or breathlessness. A blood count and other tests may help identify anaemia and its cause; treatment depends on that cause.

Seek emergency help for palpitations with chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, collapse, confusion, or sudden weakness. Obtain urgent assessment if the heartbeat remains very fast or irregular, or symptoms are rapidly worsening.

Ask whether you need a blood count, iron or vitamin testing, and an assessment for blood loss. Ask whether an ECG is appropriate, how to record episodes, and which activities or symptoms should prompt urgent review.