Ameya Kulkarni, MD, a cardiologist with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, offers his insights on what it means when your heart skips a beat in a U.S. News and World Report article. In the April article, Dr. Kulkarni says that understanding how cardiologists think about the issue of a skipped heart beat can help alleviate some of the anxiety associated with heart palpitations, as well as inform a decision on when to speak with your physician.

In the article, Dr. Kulkarni examines potential reasons for a skipped heartbeat – the most common culprits being dehydration, hunger, and emotional or physical stress. In isolation, these incidents are generally not dangerous and can be remedied by correcting the underlying trigger.

However, Dr. Kulkarni points out 2 features that should raise the level of concern:

• Palpitations that continuously last for long periods (such as more than 10 minutes)
• Worrisome symptoms such as severe dizziness/lightheadedness, passing out, or extreme shortness of breath

Read the full story on U.S. News and World Report.