Palpitations

An awareness of the heart racing or skipping beats can be a sign of cardiac arrhythmia. This can be an important symptom, particularly if the palpitations are worse during exercise or associated with dizziness or blackouts. One of the commonest types of arrhythmia is called atrial fibrillation, and is important to diagnose as it can be a cause of stroke. However many palpitations are entirely benign and can be caused by stress, anxiety or excessive caffeine.

Investigations would normally include an ECG, echocardiogram and some form of ECG monitoring.