ectopic or palpatation

[giddy]

Hi - when i saw my GP she said i was having ectopic beats - i'm getting a bit confused between ectopic beats and palpatations!! are they the same thing? if they aren't how can you tell which one your having?
Thanks Love Helen

[Quirky]

Hi there Giddy,

They are two different things (and had a cardiologist confirm that this is true). Palpatation literally means being aware of your own heart beat, ectopic beat is usually felt as a sudden thud in your chest, many people call them missed beats but there isn't actually a beat that has been missed, it more to do with timing of the beat. Most normal non anxious people have about two ectopics a day also, only they are not usually aware of them.
There is a good explanation of them on the NMP homepage:

Palpitations (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/NMPcms.php?nmppage=palpitations)

Lisa