What Causes Fluttering In My Chest?

Have you ever felt like your heart skipped a beat? It can be a strange and scary sensation, but it’s usually easy to manage.

A fluttering feeling in your chest may not always call for serious concern. Minor, fleeting heart palpitations often link to feelings of stress or anxiety. Other heart fluttering causes include side effects from certain medications or excessive use of caffeine or alcohol. Some heart palpitations can also stem from recent, robust exercise or inadequate sleep or hydration.

Sometimes, though, your heart flutter could stem from a cardiovascular condition called atrial fibrillation, or AFib. Marked by an irregular, fast heartbeat, AFib is a heart rhythm disorder that can lead to an increased risk of stroke. 

To reduce your risk of cardiovascular complications, you should watch for AFib symptoms and seek treatment promptly if they occur.

Key Takeaways: Fluttering In The Chest

• Feelings of chest fluttering are normal, but recurrent symptoms may require medical attention.
• Lifestyle and dietary issues can cause some chest fluttering symptoms. Making minor changes to your daily habits can help reduce certain heart palpitations.
• In other cases, heart fluttering can be a sign of AFib, a heart rhythm disorder. Managing AFib symptoms proactively helps reduce your risk of stroke.

What Is Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)?

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a heart conditions where the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly and often at such a high rate that the heart cannot pump blood effectively. This can cause blood to pool in the chambers and form clots, which may result in a stroke.

Your heart is a powerful muscle that pumps blood throughout your body. It does this with a regular beat, like a drum. When a “hiccup,” or irregular beat, occurs in your heart's rhythm, you might feel a flutter or quiver in your chest.

In fact, a feeling of fluttering in your heart is a classic symptom of atrial fibrillation (AFib). In patients with AFib, the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat so quickly that they twitch or skip beats. Then, the heart's lower chambers (the ventricles) beat in an uncoordinated way. This results in irregular beats that cause a fluttering heart rate.

“While it sounds serious, we can manage many AFib cases with the right treatment plan,” said Philip George Jr., MD, a board-certified cardiologist with Franciscan Physician Network in Indianapolis. “The key is to get a proper diagnosis and work closely with your healthcare team."

What Causes AFib?

AFib is a relatively common condition, affecting roughly 1 in 20 Americans. Your risk of developing AFib increases as you age, with the highest risk for those over 65.

Many medical conditions known to increase stress on the heart can lead to the onset of AFib. These include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Heart failure
• Heart valve defects
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Hyperthyroidism (overproduction of thyroid hormones)
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Asthma
• Emphysema
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Previous illness, including sepsis or severe COVID-19
• Previous heart attack
• Past open-heart surgery
• Surgery recovery

Adults with untreated AFib are five times more likely than those without the condition to suffer a stroke. If you have heart fluttering symptoms frequently, don’t ignore them. Talk to your doctor about screening for AFib to reduce your risk of stroke and other cardiovascular complications. 

What Activities Increase My Risk For AFib?

Activities that can increase your AFib risk include:

• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol

What Should I Do If I Think I Have AFib?

If you are experiencing frequent heart palpitations and suspect they are due to AFib, the first step is to contact your primary care provider. Your doctor will likely order an electrocardiogram (EKG), a test that detects your heart’s electrical activity. The results can show if you have AFib or another form of heart arrhythmia, the medical term for an irregular heartbeat.

How Is AFib Treated?

If you are diagnosed with AFib, your doctor may recommend medications to help control your heart rate and stabilize your heart rhythm. Your provider might also prescribe a blood-thinning medication to reduce your risk of AFib-related blood clots and stroke.  

If medications don't control your AFib symptoms, our providers may recommend additional, highly effective AFib treatment options. Cardioversion uses a mild electric shock to reset the heart’s rhythm, and ablation involves intentional scarring of the heart muscle to block abnormal beats. 

What Can I Do To Control AFib?

You can make small changes to your daily routine to reduce chest fluttering triggers associated with AFib. These include:

• Avoid certain medications, like cough and cold medicine, that contain stimulants that make the heart beat faster
• Control your weight
• Exercise
• Manage stress
• Reduce alcohol and caffeine intake
• Restrict fat, salt and sugar in your diet
• Stop tobacco use
• Treat sleep apnea

These steps can help keep your heart strong and reduce the chances of fluttering sensations in your chest.

“A heart-healthy diet, regular exercise and stress management can go a long way to keep your heart in good shape and heart palpitations under control,” Dr. George said. “Don't underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle."

With proper treatment, most people with AFib can expect a full and active life. 

Don’t Wait — Take Charge Of Your Heart Health

If you have recurrent heart palpitations, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or a cardiologist to screen for AFib today. When you understand and manage your symptoms, you will help lower your risk of stroke and other AFib-related cardiovascular complications.

Frequently Asked Questions: Fluttering In Chest

How common is AFib?

More than 2 million Americans have AFib.

Does my heart fluttering mean I have AFib?

AFib is one of many causes of heart fluttering or heart palpitations.

Other causes of heart palpitations include:

• Ventricular tachycardia
• Certain medications including nasal decongestants and asthma and ADHD treatments
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Excessive caffeine
• Electrolyte problems

Learn more about heart palpitations from the American Heart Association.

Why trust Franciscan Health for heart palpitation care?

Franciscan Health's heart team is dedicated to providing comprehensive cardiovascular care. Our teams provide emergency heart and vascular procedures and surgeries backed by experience and outstanding expertise. Franciscan Health is home to first-in-the-world heart tissue regeneration procedures for valve disease and the development of the emergency heart attack response team, a protocol now used across the country to dramatically reduce door-to-balloon time for heart attack patients.