Heart Palpitations: Causes, Triggers, and What You Can Do

When your heart skips, flutters, or pounds like it’s trying to escape your chest, you’re experiencing heart palpitations, an unusual awareness of your heartbeat, often felt as racing, fluttering, or pounding. Also known as palpitations, they’re not a disease themselves—but a symptom that something else might be going on. Many people get them after coffee, during stress, or after a workout. For others, they show up without warning—and that’s when worry sets in.

What’s really behind them? Often, it’s something simple: too much caffeine, not enough sleep, or a spike in anxiety, a common trigger that ramps up adrenaline and makes your heart race. But it could also be tied to medication side effects, like those from asthma inhalers, thyroid pills, or even some decongestants. Electrolyte imbalance, especially low potassium or magnesium, is another frequent culprit. These aren’t rare—many people on diuretics or with chronic conditions deal with them regularly.

Some heart palpitations signal something more serious—like an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), thyroid trouble, or even heart disease. But here’s the thing: most of the time, they’re not dangerous. The real question isn’t just "why is my heart acting up?" but "when should I get it checked?" If you’re dizzy, short of breath, chest pain shows up, or the palpitations last longer than a few minutes, that’s your signal to see a doctor. Otherwise, tracking when they happen—after meals, during stress, or after taking a new med—can tell you more than any test.

You’ll find posts here that dig into how certain drugs, from antibiotics to ADHD meds, can trigger palpitations. Others explain how stress and diet play a role, and what natural fixes might help. No fluff. Just real talk on what’s likely causing your heart to race—and what you can actually do about it.