Be still your heart — we’re heading into holiday heart syndrome season, the time of year when binging and boozing at boisterous bashes can leave your heart racing.
While heart palpitations can be “startling and very unsettling,” a Georgia-based heart surgeon assures that they are very rarely dangerous or life-threatening.
“Normally the palpitations are brought on by emotional stress, caffeine, alcohol or even a lack of sleep, and most of the time, they don’t last for long periods,” Dr. Jeremy London explained Monday on TikTok.
Heart palpitations are described as a rapid fluttering, flip-flopping or pounding sensation in the chest. You may feel like your heart skipped a beat or it’s pulsating abnormally.
Palpitations are more common in women because of hormonal changes tied to menstruation, pregnancy or menopause.
Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that palpitations can be from strenuous exercise, stress, depression, caffeine, alcohol or diet pill consumption, smoking, an overactive thyroid, fever, low blood pressure, heart disease or a response to certain medications.
It’s unclear how prevalent palpitations are because not everyone goes to a doctor when they notice their heart beating fast.
One study estimated that 16% of patients reported palpitations to their doctor.
They are so common in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas that they’ve earned the name holiday heart syndrome.
London said you should seek medical attention if your palpitations don’t disappear or they become more frequent, if you get lightheaded or pass out, or if you have chest pain that radiates to your jaw, arm or back.
You may need heart-monitoring tests if you have frequent palpitations and a history of heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Sometimes heart palpitations can signal a serious problem like an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia).
Palpitations often go away on their own — treatment may involve managing stress and avoiding triggers like alcohol or spicy foods.
If there’s a more serious heart problem at play, medicine or a defibrillator to detect and stop irregular heartbeats may be needed.
