Palpitations are the sensations of pounding or fluttering in the chest due to an abnormal heart beat. They can be unsettling and often prompt concern about underlying heart issues. While various factors can trigger palpitations, cardiac causes are significant considerations. Understanding the cardiac origins of palpitations involves taking detailed history, clinical examination anddiagnostic tools like electrocardiogram (ECG), Holter`s monitoring and echocardiogram.

Heart palpitations can arise from arrhythmias, , irregularities in the heart’s electrical impulses that regulate its rhythm. One common arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AF), characterised by erratic electrical activity in the top chambers of the heart, called atria. This chaotic activity results in rapid and irregular heartbeats, leading often to sensation of palpitations. ECG play an important role in diagnosing AF by recording it`s irregular pattern. Additionally, prolonged ECG recording, called Holter monitoring, which involves wearing a portable ECG device for an extended period of time, helps capture intermittent runs of this arrhythmia that may not be evident during a standard ECG. This is often referred to as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

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