Hi,I am Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (Psychiatrist). I will be looking into your question and guiding you through the process. Please write your question below.
When I m at school, mainly in chemistry of biology, I tend to feel slightly anxious and I can usually hear my heart pounding in my chest, and blood rushing through my ears. Sometimes I get quite shakey too. Is this what is meant by heart palpitations? As they are caused by stress, are they still dangerous?
No not usually; palpitations are simply an awareness of ones own heart beating. They are usually benign and do not generally represent pathology. Common causes are stress/anxiety and caffeine. If you are frequently suffering from panicky episodes then your GP can refer you for CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).
If you are experiencing any other symptoms with these episodes such as pain etc then your GP will probably want to do a 24 hour ECG trace. It might also be worth checking your thyroid levels too.
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Are These Heart Palpitations Dangerous ?
No not usually; palpitations are simply an awareness of ones own heart beating. They are usually benign and do not generally represent pathology. Common causes are stress/anxiety and caffeine. If you are frequently suffering from panicky episodes then your GP can refer you for CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). If you are experiencing any other symptoms with these episodes such as pain etc then your GP will probably want to do a 24 hour ECG trace. It might also be worth checking your thyroid levels too.