Why does heart failure cause palpitations?

Palpitations can feel like racing, pounding, fluttering, skipped beats, or an uneven rhythm in the chest, throat or neck. Heart failure can alter pressure and stretch within the heart, and rhythm disturbances may develop alongside it. Palpitations are a common presentation of Heart Failure, yet they also occur with stress, caffeine, fever, thyroid conditions and medicines.

The exact sensation, its start and stop, and the symptoms around it help distinguish a brief awareness of the heartbeat from a rhythm problem that needs treatment.

Write down when the palpitations happen, how long they last, whether the beat feels regular, and what you were doing beforehand. Include breathlessness, light-headedness, chest discomfort, swelling or a change in exercise tolerance. Share this record with your clinician; they may check your pulse, arrange an ECG, or review medicines and stimulants.

Do not borrow rhythm medicines or take extra doses to settle the feeling. If you use caffeine, nicotine, decongestants or supplements, mention them at your appointment.

Seek urgent care if palpitations come with chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, new weakness, or confusion. Promptly contact your clinician for a newly persistent fast or irregular heartbeat, especially if it is accompanied by worsening fluid swelling or reduced ability to carry out normal activities.

Does the pattern suggest an arrhythmia, and should I have an ECG or longer rhythm monitor? Could any medicine or supplement be contributing? What should I do if the sensation returns outside clinic hours?