Heartbeat Sensations
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What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
Your doctor will take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and do an EKG. If you are in distress (meaning that you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or other concerning symptoms) and are in the emergency room, your cardiac rhythm will be monitored. An emergency intervention will be performed if necessary to restore normal cardiac rhythm.
If you do not have the symptoms at the time of your visit, the doctor will want to know what your pulse was at the time you felt the palpitations and whether or not the rhythm felt regular.
Medical history questions may include:
- Do you feel skipped or stopped beats?
- Does your heart rate feel slow or fast when you have the palpitations?
- Do you feel a racing, pounding, or fluttering?
- Is there a regular or irregular pattern to the unusual heartbeat sensation?
- Did the palpitations begin or end suddenly?
- When do the palpitations occur? In response to reminders of a traumatic event? When you are lying down and resting? When you change your body position? When you feel emotional?
- Do you have any other symptoms?
As part of your physical exam, your doctor will check your temperature, pulse, rate of breathing, and blood pressure. He or she will also pay special attention to your heart and lungs.
Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:
If your doctor finds that you have an abnormal heart rhythm, write down what it is called and be sure to tell other professionals involved in your medical care.
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