Hello. Thank you for your question and welcome to HCM. I understand your concern. My message will be predominantly descriptive. The feeling you experienced is called a palpitation. Palpitation is produced by a premature heart beat (atrial or ventricular) or skipped heart beat . Premature heart beats or extrasystoles happen at least some times during life to anybody, including me. They are closely related to physical activity, psychological stress, hormonal changes during a day, caffeine-containing beverages etc. What really happens? A certain part of heart muscle fires an impulse (the premature heart beat), but the sinus node - the normal pacemaker of the heart - quickly takes over, producing a slight pause after this rebel beat, and producing a more forceful heart beat, which is accompanied by shortness of breath and a sensation of heart jumping out of the chest or throat . This is called palpitation. My opinion is that there is nothing to worry about, as these phenomena are totally benign and could happen to anybody. I hope this answers your question. Best regards. Dr. Meriton