Heart Palpitations

Home care

Follow these home care tips:

• Don't use too much caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco, or any stimulant drugs.

• Tell your health care provider about any prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, supplements, or herbal medicines you take.

Follow-up care

• Follow up with your health care provider, or as advised.

Call 911

This is the fastest and safest way to get to the emergency department. The paramedics can also start treatment on the way to the hospital, if needed.

Don't wait until your symptoms are severe to call 911. These are reasons to call 911:

• Chest pain.

• Shortness of breath.

• Feeling lightheaded, faint, or dizzy, or losing consciousness.

• A very irregular heartbeat.

• A rapid heartbeat that makes you uncomfortable.

• A slower than usual heart rate along with symptoms.

• Chest pain with weakness, dizziness, heavy sweating, nausea, or vomiting.

• Extreme drowsiness, confusion, or weakness.

• Weakness of an arm or leg, or on one side of the face.

• Trouble with speech or vision.

When to get medical advice

Contact your health care provider or get medical care right away if you have palpitations that last longer than normal, or are different from your past palpitations.