You may have the feeling that your heart stops beating for a moment, and then starts again with a 'thump' or a 'bang'. People may describe their palpitations in lots of different ways, but there are some common patterns: The heart 'stops' decongestants and cold cures, or avoiding excessive alcohol use. Even if treatment is required, the cure may be quite simple, such as avoiding caffeine (coffee, tea, coca cola), avoiding drugs which can make the heart race e.g. The first thing to emphasise about palpitations is that they usually do not mean that you have a significant heart problem, and in many cases do not even require treatment, although just occasionally they can be an indicator of a potentially serious condition. The heart muscle can continue to contract effectively even if the electrical system is 'misfiring' from time to time.
The heart beats in response to an electrical stimulus (a bit like the way a car engine fires in response to a spark from a spark plug), and palpitations usually stem from a problem in this electrical system that generates the heartbeat.
Normally, of course, you are not aware of your heart beating at all. An abnormal heart rhythm is referred to as an arrhythmia. Palpitations are an awareness of your own heartbeat, usually because the heartbeat seems irregular, or unusually rapid, or in some other way 'different' to normal.
