Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Skipped Heart Beat?
Question: when I take my pulse it seems like it skips a beat once or twice a minute.sometimes a little more and sometimes none. is this normal or am I taking my pulse wrong. ive been doing it for the last few months. I don't know if it has done it before. the only reason why I take it so much now is because I noticed it. it could have been there. or it may not have been there
Brief Answer:
Probably nothing important
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
if you had no symptoms despite this situation happening so often (1-2 times per minute) then this is most likely nothing serious. Arterial hypertension predisposes to arrhythmias particularly when heart hypertrophy has occurred.
The best way to be sure whether this is something important or not is to do an electrocardiogram. If the missed beat does not occur during the test, then a 24 hour Holter test can be done.
You can be wrong when taking your pulse if your fingers are not placed correctly and your pulse is not very strong. In healthy individuals this is difficult to happen.
Please note that you may feel an extra systole every so often because of too much coffee or smoking. This is something you might confuse with a 'missed' systole.
I hope things are more clear now!
If you have further questions, please ask. I'll be glad to help.
Kind Regards!
Probably nothing important
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
if you had no symptoms despite this situation happening so often (1-2 times per minute) then this is most likely nothing serious. Arterial hypertension predisposes to arrhythmias particularly when heart hypertrophy has occurred.
The best way to be sure whether this is something important or not is to do an electrocardiogram. If the missed beat does not occur during the test, then a 24 hour Holter test can be done.
You can be wrong when taking your pulse if your fingers are not placed correctly and your pulse is not very strong. In healthy individuals this is difficult to happen.
Please note that you may feel an extra systole every so often because of too much coffee or smoking. This is something you might confuse with a 'missed' systole.
I hope things are more clear now!
If you have further questions, please ask. I'll be glad to help.
Kind Regards!
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
