What Causes Heart Palpitations?

Here is a list of possible causes:

* Ischemia (restriction of blood supply)
* Certain medicines such as digoxin, which increases heart contraction
* Myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle)
* Cardiomyopathy (heart muscles disease)
* Myocardial contusion (v-fib)
* Hypoxia (deprivation of oxygen)
* Hypercapnia (CO2 poisoning)
* Mitral valve prolapse
* Smoking
* Alcohol
* Drugs such as cocaine
* Caffeine
* Tricyclic antidepressants
* Magnesium and potassium deficiency
* Calcium excess
* Thyroid problems
* Chemical (electrolyte) problems in the blood
* Heart attack
* Adrenaline excess
* Lack of sleep/exhaustion (aka having a newborn-ha!)
* Stress

Remember, if you have occasional extra beats, but you are an otherwise healthy person, there's generally no reason for concern, and no treatment is needed. If you have frequent symptoms or you have underlying heart disease, you may need treatment to help you feel better and treat underlying heart problems.