Question: What exactly are heart palpitations? Are they a sign that worse problems are to come, and sooner than later?

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

Palpitations are a medical term for an awareness of your heartbeat. You may feel your heart is skipping a beat, fluttering, or beating too fast. Their significance to you can only be explained in the context of what is causing them, which can include many things such as medicines, caffeine, and certain medical conditions). This means you MUST see your doctor to see if these are going to be dangerous to you or not, or whether they are simply a sign of an underlying disorder that needs correction.

Palpitations are never normal. So, see your doctor and ask for an EKG and some screening lab work if you are bothered by palpitations.