Heart Palpitations During Pregnancy

Nearly everyone experiences heart palpitations at some point during their life. The likelihood of palpitations is influenced by many factors, one of which is pregnancy. It isn't uncommon for women to experience their first episode(s) of heart palpitations during pregnancy. Heart palpitations can occur frequently during pregnancy. Although they are usually alarming to the individual experiencing them, heart palpitations during pregnancy are almost always harmless; however, they should never be ignored.

Heart palpitations are an awareness of the beating of the heart. Palpitations are usually felt in the chest but they can also be felt in the throat or neck. In some cases, you may simply feel your heart beating. For many, this is an unpleasant feeling. In other cases, however, you may feel abnormal, irregular, or forceful beating of the heart. In such cases, it may feel as though the heart has skipped or stopped beats. The rhythm of the heart may be normal or abnormal during these episodes. Usually, heart palpitations last only a few seconds or minutes. There are many different types of heart palpitations, each of which has its own cause. Most of the time, heart palpitations are harmless. However, episodes of heart palpitations that last more than a few minutes, occur frequently, and/or are accompanied by other symptoms may indicate a more serious underlying condition.

During pregnancy, the likelihood of experiencing heart palpitations becomes significantly greater. This is because of the increased blood volume and increased hormones, particularly progesterone, that occur during pregnancy. These factors put added stress on the heart which can cause it to beat fast or irregularly on occasion. As with any other time, the factors that normally contribute to heart palpitations can also contribute to heart palpitations during pregnancy. In fact, such factors are more likely to cause palpitations because of the added stress on the heart that occurs during pregnancy. These factors include: anxiety, stress, exercise, fever, caffeine, nicotine, certain medications, certain illegal drugs, and alcohol. Most of these factors can easily be controlled. In a some cases, heart palpitations occur as a result of an underlying condition. Some conditions common during pregnancy that result in palpitations include: anemia, low levels of oxygen in your blood, hypoglycemia, changes in blood pressure, and certain thyroid conditions. Rarely during pregnancy, heart palpitations signal a serious problem. These include: mitral valve prolapse, heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, blood clots in the lung, emphysema, and inflammation of the heart.

Although heart palpitations during pregnancy are usually harmless, they should never be ignored. Let your doctor know if you experience heart palpitations and don't hesitate to call anytime you are worried. Call your doctor immediately anytime you experience heart palpitations accompanied by dizziness, chest pain or discomfort, weakness, lightheadedness, unusual sweating, shortness of breath, and/or fainting.

Sources

MedicineNet

Mayo Clinic