Slow heart rate
Bradycardia means a slow heart rate, usually below 60 beats a minute at rest.
Read the guide
Conditions · Dubai
Palpitations: a racing, skipping or pounding heart
Palpitations are an awareness of your own heartbeat: racing, fluttering, skipping or pounding. Many causes are harmless, such as caffeine, stress or extra beats. Some need treatment, such as atrial fibrillation. An ECG and rhythm monitoring help tell them apart. Dr Shady Habboush assesses palpitations at Saudi German Hospital Dubai.
Dr Shady HabboushConsultant Interventional Cardiology · Saudi German Hospital Dubai2 min read3 sourcesMedically reviewed against ESC and NHS guidance
01
Signs worth a check
- Palpitations that are frequent, prolonged or getting worse
- Palpitations with dizziness, fainting, chest pain or breathlessness (call 998 if severe)
- A fast, irregular pulse, or an irregular rhythm flagged by a smartwatch
- Palpitations with a known heart condition or a family history of sudden death at a young age
Chest pain right now?
Do not wait for an appointment. Call 998 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Risks and alternatives
The aim is to find the cause with the fewest tests. Treatments such as medicines and ablation have benefits and risks, which are explained before any decision.
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How it is assessed
- 01
Your description matters: how it starts and stops, how fast, and what you were doing.
- 02
A 12-lead ECG, and blood tests such as thyroid function and blood count.
- 03
Rhythm monitoring matched to how often symptoms occur: a 24 to 48-hour Holter, a 7 to 14-day patch, or an event monitor.
- 04
An echo, if a structural heart problem needs to be excluded.
03
Treatment options
Many people need only reassurance and simple changes, such as less caffeine, better sleep and treating anxiety.
Atrial fibrillation needs assessment of stroke risk and treatment of rate or rhythm.
Some fast rhythms are treated with medicines or a catheter ablation by an electrophysiologist.
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Questions about this
Are palpitations dangerous?
Most are harmless, especially short skipped beats at rest. Palpitations with fainting, chest pain or breathlessness, or with a known heart condition, need prompt assessment.
What is a Holter monitor?
A small recorder worn for one or more days that records every heartbeat, so symptoms can be matched to the rhythm.
Can coffee cause palpitations?
Caffeine, energy drinks, alcohol, nicotine and some decongestants can trigger extra beats in some people.
Can a smartwatch detect atrial fibrillation?
Some watches can flag an irregular rhythm. A diagnosis needs a proper ECG recording reviewed by a doctor.
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Related guides
ICD and CRT devices
An ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) watches the heart rhythm and can treat a dangerous fast rhythm with pacing or a shock.
Read the guideHeart check-up
A heart check-up with a cardiologist combines your history, an examination, an ECG and only the tests you need, followed by a clear explanation of your own risk.
Read the guideSources
Medical facts on this page follow the sources below.
Medically reviewed against ESC and NHS guidance · Updated October 2026. General information, not medical advice.
Location and booking
Book a consultation
Appointments are made through Saudi German Hospital Dubai, Hessa Street, Al Barsha 3. Consultations in Arabic, English and German.
- Address
- Hessa Street, Al Barsha 3, Dubai
- Languages
- Arabic, English, German
Chest pain right now? Do not wait for an appointment. Call 998 or go to the nearest emergency department.