A fluttering, pounding, or unexpectedly fast heartbeat can feel alarming, especially when it begins around the same time as hot flashes, sleep problems, or cycle changes. Palpitations can occur during perimenopause and menopause, but hormones are not the only possible cause. Our menopause treatment in Naples, FL, takes medical history and cardiometabolic health into account alongside hormone symptoms. Howard Health & Wellness is led by Dr. Corey Howard, who is board-certified in internal and functional medicine and has experience in hormone care.
What Can Menopause-Related Palpitations Feel Like?
Some women describe a skipped beat, a brief flutter, a pounding sensation, or a sudden increase in heart rate. These episodes may occur as estrogen levels fluctuate during the menopausal transition and may appear with hot flashes, anxiety, or disrupted sleep.
If you are still having periods, perimenopause may be when these sensations first become noticeable. Because hormone levels can shift from month to month, symptoms may come and go.
Do Not Assume Every Palpitation Is Hormonal
Caffeine, alcohol, dehydration, stress, certain medications, anemia, thyroid problems, and abnormal heart rhythms may also cause a racing or irregular heartbeat. A new symptom deserves medical attention even if it started during menopause. Brief palpitations are not automatically a sign of heart disease, but their cause cannot be determined from the sensation alone. Your age, medical history, medications, and accompanying symptoms all influence what should be checked next in clinic.
Keep track of when episodes happen, how long they last, and whether they occur after exercise, caffeine, poor sleep, or a hot flash. Also note any dizziness, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, or fainting. Those details give your clinician more useful information when deciding what type of evaluation may be appropriate.
Our article on common menopause symptoms reviews other changes that may occur during this stage and when it makes sense to seek medical guidance.
Where Hormone Therapy Fits In
If you are considering hormone therapy, your cardiovascular history, symptoms, lab findings, and other risk factors should be part of the discussion. Hormone therapy is not a treatment for every episode of palpitations, and unexplained heart symptoms still need to be evaluated separately.
Seek urgent medical care for palpitations accompanied by chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, marked dizziness, or other concerning symptoms.
If palpitations are new or changing, especially alongside other menopause symptoms, a medical review can clarify what needs attention. Howard Health & Wellness sees women for menopause care in Naples, FL. Contact us or reach our office at 239-331-2285.
