What are ectopic heartbeats and why do they happen?
Ectopic heartbeats are very common and often cause noticeable palpitations. In this video, Dr Ravi Assomull describes why these extra beats occur and why they are usually harmless.
Learn more about Abnormal heart rate or book a consultation with Dr Assomull – no GP referral needed, appointments typically within one working day.
Transcript
Ectopic beats are extra beats that arise from outside the normal pacemaker of the heart. They are very common and in the vast majority of cases are entirely harmless. The symptoms of an ectopic beat include those of a skipped beat, a flutter, a thudding or the sensation of a dropped beat.
These sensations typically occur because what happens is there is a short pause after an ectopic beat, which is then followed by a stronger heartbeat.
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