Palpitations can make you feel your heart pounding, racing, fluttering, or beating irregularly. They can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck and can last for a few seconds or minutes. Even though heart palpitations can be worrisome, many feel they are harmless. However, according to experts, other than a cardiac issue, palpitations are also a sign of a thyroid problem, which needs immediate attention.

Doctors say palpitations most often happen with hypothyroidism, which is the production of very little thyroid hormone as a deficiency begins to lower your metabolism. However, you can also feel anxiety if you have hyperthyroidism or an overactive thyroid.

According to studies, at least 63 per cent of people with hypothyroidism do experience palpitations.

Doctors say hypothyroidism occurs when your body produces too little thyroid hormone, which it needs to regulate metabolism and other functions. Also known as Hashimoto’s disease or thyroiditis, the condition sometimes causes unpredictable releases of thyroid hormones, leading to hypothyroidism.

It may happen due to various reasons, which include previous surgeries, the use of certain medications, an underlying genetic cause, or an autoimmune disease.

While experts are not entirely sure why hypothyroidism causes palpitations, potential reasons for the condition include the thyroid hormone's role in creating and regulating neurotransmitters like dopamine that affect your mood and overall health.

Doctors say low thyroid levels induce pounding heartbeats because of other problems like fatigue or joint and muscle pain.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, hypothyroidism makes your arteries less elastic, thereby increasing blood pressure to circulate blood around your body. And so, elevated cholesterol levels, which contribute to narrowed, hardened arteries, are another possible consequence of low thyroid levels.

Apart from palpitations, a few other signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

• Constipation or hard stools
• Feeling cold all the time
• Fatigue and tiredness
• Irregular periods in women
• Joint and muscle pain
• Paleness
• Sadness and depression
• Anxiety
• Weight gain
• Puffy face, hands, and feet

Who is at risk of thyroid issues?

According to doctors, a few factors that affect your odds of having thyroid issues and subsequent palpitations include:

Those who have first-degree relatives like parents and siblings who have an underactive or overactive thyroid face a higher risk of a similar problem.

Women are five to eight times more likely to have thyroid problems than men.

The prevalence of hypothyroidism rises with age, especially after age 60.

White men and women have higher rates of hypothyroidism than Hispanic Americans and African Americans.

Thyroid problems are more likely among people with a personal or family history of certain conditions, including type 1 diabetes, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, premature grey hair, radiation treatments to the head and neck, and vitiligo.

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