In a healthy adult, the heart rate should average between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Factors that determine heart rate are activity level, exertion of the body, and even stress levels. Heart palpitations or heart racing can be harmless and merely a response to activity, stress, etc. But in some cases, they can be the sign of a serious condition. The blurred vision, twitching, pounding heartbeat (which can exceed 120bpm) panic attacks and mood swings can all correlate with problems with the ear or heart.

Pulsing or throbbing muscles, Pulsing or throbbing sensation descriptions:

• You may feel a pulsing sensation in one or more muscles or groups of muscles, or parts of the body.
• This pulsing throbbing feeling can be a slow, mild, rhythmic pulsing or throbbing, or may feel like a rapid gentle tremor-like sensation, or a combination of these sensations.
• This pulsing throbbing feeling may be visible to the eye, or not visible at all.

This pulsing throbbing feeling can persistently affect one area only, can shift and affect another area or areas, and can migrate all over and affect many areas over and over again.

This pulsing throbbing feeling can come and go rarely, occur frequently, or persist indefinitely. For example, you may feel a pulsing throbbing feeling once in a while and not that often, feel it off and on, or feel it all the time.

This pulsing throbbing feeling may precede, accompany, or follow an escalation of other anxiety sensations and symptoms, or occur by itself.

This pulsing throbbing feeling can precede, accompany, or follow an episode of nervousness, anxiety, fear, and elevated stress, or occur ‘out of the blue’ and for no apparent reason.

This pulsing throbbing feeling can range in intensity from slight, to moderate, to severe. It can also come in waves, where it’s strong one moment and eases off the next.

This pulsing throbbing feeling can change from day to day, and/or from moment to moment.

All of the above combinations and variations are common.

This pulsing throbbing sensation can be more noticeable when resting, relaxing, or when trying to go to sleep.

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What causes the anxiety symptom pulsing throbbing sensation?

Anxiety causes the body to produce the stress response (also known as the fight or flight response). The stress response adversely affects the body's nervous system, which is responsible for the nerve impulses that cause muscle movements. When the nervous system becomes overly stressed, it can act in erratic and more involuntary ways. Experiencing pulsing throbbing muscles and/or muscle groups is an example of this erratic and more involuntary behavior.

Whole Body Throbbing With Heartbeat Symptoms

How to get rid of the anxiety symptom?

Because this symptom is just a symptom of elevated stress, it needn't be a cause for concern. It's not dangerous and is generally not an indication of something more serious. This pulsing throbbing sensation will subside when you reduce your body's stress and give your body ample time to calm down. As your body's stress returns to a normal level, symptoms of stress subside, including the pulsing throbbing anxiety symptom. Therefore, this anxiety symptom needn't be a cause for concern.

For a more detailed explanation about all anxiety symptoms, why symptoms can persist long after the stress response has ended, common barriers to recovery and symptom elimination, and more recovery strategies and tips, we have many chapters that address this information in the Recovery Support area of our website.

The combination of good self-help information and working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to address anxiety disorder and its many symptoms. Until the core causes of anxiety are addressed - the underlying factors that motivate apprehensive behavior - a struggle with anxiety disorder can return again and again. Identifying and successfully addressing anxiety's underlying factors is the best way to overcome problematic anxiety.

Additional Resources:

• For a comprehensive list of Anxiety Disorders Symptoms Signs, Types, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.
• Anxiety and panic attacks symptoms can be powerful experiences. Find out what they are and how to stop them.
• Free online anxiety tests to screen for anxiety. Two minute tests with instant results. Such as:
• Anxiety 101 is a summarized description of anxiety, anxiety disorder, and how to overcome it.

Return to Anxiety Disorders Symptoms section.

anxietycentre.com: Information, support, and therapy for anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including the anxiety symptom pulsing throbbing.

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Heart palpitations are heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable.

Your heart may feel like it's pounding, fluttering or beating irregularly, often for just a few seconds or minutes. You may also feel these sensations in your throat or neck.

Palpitations may seem alarming, but in most cases they're harmless and are not a sign of a serious problem.

Sometimes you may feel an extra or missed beat. These are known as ectopic beats and are also usually nothing to worry about.

Causes of heart palpitations

Causes of heart palpitations include:

• lifestyle triggers
• emotions and psychological triggers
• medicines
• hormone changes
• heart rhythm problems
• heart conditions
• other medical conditions

Lifestyle triggers

Common triggers of heart palpitations include:

• strenuous exercise
• drinks containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea and energy drinks
• illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, ecstasy and cannabis
• rich or spicy foods

In these cases, the palpitations should go away on their own. Avoiding these triggers may help stop them from coming back.

Emotional or psychological triggers

Heart palpitations are also often caused by emotions or psychological issues, such as:

• excitement or nervousness
• stress or anxiety
• panic attacks – an overwhelming sense of anxiety or fear, accompanied by feeling sick, sweating, trembling and palpitations

Doing breathing exercises and learning how to deal with a panic attack may help if you're feeling stressed, anxious or panicked.

Medicines

Palpitations can occasionally be triggered by some medicines, including:

• asthma inhalers, such as salbutamol and ipratropium bromide
• high blood pressure (hypertension) medicines, such as hydralazine and minoxidil
• antihistamines, such as terfenadine
• antibiotics, such as clarithromycin and erythromycin
• antidepressants, such as citalopram and escitalopram
• antifungal medicines, such as itraconazole

Speak to a GP if you think a medicine may be causing your heart palpitations. But do not stop taking a prescribed treatment without first getting medical advice.

Hormone changes

Heart palpitations in women can sometimes be the result of hormonal changes that happen during:

• pregnancy
• the menopause

In these cases, the palpitations are usually temporary and not a cause for concern.

Heart rhythm problems

Palpitations are sometimes caused by a problem with the heart rhythm (arrhythmia), such as:

• atrial fibrillation – this is the most common type, where the heart beats irregularly and faster than normal
• atrial flutter – a fast and irregular heartbeat
• supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) – abnormally fast heart rate
• ventricular tachycardia – a more serious condition where the regular heartbeat is typically fast. It can be associated with dizziness or blackouts

Heart conditions

Some palpitations may be associated with other types of heart conditions, such as:

• a problem with the heart valves, such as mitral valve prolapse
• hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – where the heart muscle and walls of the heart become enlarged and thickened
• heart failure – where the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly
• congenital heart disease – birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart

Some of these conditions can be serious and often require treatment.

Other medical conditions

Other conditions that can cause heart palpitations include:

• an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) – where the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormones
• a low blood sugar level (hypoglycaemia) – this is most commonly associated with diabetes
• types of anaemia, which affects the red blood cells
• postural or orthostatic hypotension – dizziness and low blood pressure triggered by changing position (such as standing up)
• a high temperature

When to see a GP

You do not usually need to see a GP if the palpitations pass quickly and only happen occasionally. They're unlikely to be caused by a serious problem and probably will not need treatment.

Whole Body Throbbing With Heartbeat Causes

But it's a good idea to see a GP if:

• the palpitations last a long time, do not improve or get worse
• you have a history of heart problems
• you're concerned about the palpitations

To help find the cause, a GP may:

• ask about your symptoms and medical history
• arrange a blood test
• carry out an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart rate (if the GP has the equipment available)

Body Throbbing Symptoms

If you cannot have an ECG at the GP surgery or the GP wants to arrange heart monitoring over a longer time period, you may be referred for tests at a local hospital.

What Does It Mean When You Can Feel Your Heartbeat In Your Whole Body

When to get emergency help

Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E if you have heart palpitations and any of the following symptoms:

Entire Body Throbbing

• severe shortness of breath
• chest pain or tightness
• dizziness or light-headedness
• fainting or blackouts

Whole Body Throbbing With Heartbeat Pregnancy

These symptoms could indicate a serious or potentially life-threatening heart problem that should be checked by a doctor straight away.

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Page last reviewed: 24 October 2019
Next review due: 24 October 2022