Palpitation

Palpitation

Palpitation is undue awareness of one’s own heart beats. The commonest cause of palpitation is simple anxiety. Palpitation can occur with or without structural heart disease. It can also occur due to inherited heart rhythm disorders known as cardiac channelopathies, disorders of ion channels. Hyperthyroidism is another important cause of palpitation. It can be associated with atrial fibrillation. Some medications like salbutamol used for treatment of asthma can cause palpitation.

While evaluating palpitation, following features are considered:

1. Onset and offset: Paroxysmal arrhythmias like supraventricular tachycardia have abrupt onset and offset.
2. Regularity: Atrial fibrillation is an irregular rhythm while most other rhythm disorders which cause palpitation are regular.
3. Precipitating factor: Palpitation on exertion and relieved by rest are likely to be due to structural heart disease like mitral stenosis.
4. Relieving factors: Palpitation of supraventricular tachycardia can terminated by vagal maneuvers like straining, pressure over eye balls etc.