Key takeaways

  • Dehydration may lead to heart palpitations. Without enough fluids, the heart works harder to pump blood, causing an increased heart rate and irregular heartbeats.
  • Heart palpitations from dehydration may not always be an emergency, but seek immediate medical attention if you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, or fainting.
  • Prevent dehydration by drinking enough fluids to keep your urine pale, especially if you’re prone to fluid loss from vomiting, diarrhea, fever, or excessive sweating.

There is a link between dehydration and how it can lead to your heart beating uncomfortably or unusually.

When the body’s dehydrated, the heart has to work harder to pump blood around. This extra work can increase your heart rate and make you feel like your heart is beating faster. This is called palpitations.

When you aren’t hydrated enough, this can put stress on your body and your heart.

Dehydration decreases blood volume and can lead to an imbalance in electrolytes, minerals that control important physiologic functions of the body. An electrolyte imbalance can develop when your body’s mineral levels are too high or too low, which can negatively affect vital body systems.

One of those effects is an impact on the heart, which can lead to a feeling of your heart pounding in your chest.

Heart palpitations on their own may not be an emergency.

But if you’re finding it difficult to breathe, have pain or tightness in your chest, or faint with palpitations, go straight to the emergency room.

Dehydration can also require hospital treatment, particularly if you experience the following symptoms:

  • decreased urination
  • debilitating muscle pain
  • fainting
  • unexplained confusion
  • dizziness, drowsiness, or weakness
  • excessive diarrhea or vomiting
  • excessive blood or mucus in diarrhea or vomit

There are many reasons for heart palpitations, including heart conditions, lifestyle habits, and certain medications.

Underlying heart issues that may lead to heart palpitations include:

There may be a number of steps to take depending on your particular symptoms and level of dehydration.

Avoid dehydration

Avoiding anything that might trigger dehydration is the best way to prevent both that and the heart palpitations that may come with it.

The main piece of advice is to stay hydrated. Typically, this means drinkingeight glasses of water per day or enough that your urine remains pale in color.

How much you need to drink may depend on where you live, what time of year it is, and your overall health and lifestyle.

This is particularly important if you experience:

  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • fever
  • heatstroke
  • excessive sweating
  • diabetes

All of the above can make you more prone to dehydration.

You may also discuss with your doctor the step of stopping any excessive consumption of caffeine or alcohol, which also be a contributing factor.

Stopping heart palpitations

Heart palpitations that appear with no other symptoms often don’t require professional treatment.

There are a few things you can try to relieve them in the moment. Breathing and muscle exercises can help. Consider doing one or all of the following:

  • Place one hand on your stomach and breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, exhaling through your nose or mouth.
  • Pinch your nose shut and close your mouth while forcibly breathing out through your nose.
  • Splash cold water onto your face or immerse your face in a sink of cold water.

If other symptoms occur, it’s best to consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

They may perform blood work or an electrocardiogram to help pinpoint the cause, prescribe medication, or recommend surgery if appropriate.

Recovering from dehydration

The first thing to do if you’re dehydrated is to try and get fluids back into your body.

Avoid taking big gulps —instead, take small sips of water every so often. You can also try consuming foods with high water content, such as berries, melons, soup, or ice cream.

If you’ve been vomiting or had diarrhea, you may need to purchase oral rehydration powder to replenish your body’s levels of minerals, sugars, and salts. This is mixed with water and is usually available in pharmacies.

Serious cases of dehydration may require intravenous fluids from a hospital.

When to seek medical care

If you’re concerned about any of your symptoms (and they’re not an emergency), make an appointment to see a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Some instances where this might happen include if you’re frequently becoming dehydrated and don’t know why or if you regularly have heart palpitations and can’t figure out what caused the symptoms.

Get immediate medical attention if you have palpatations with chest pain or pressure, difficulty breathing, or you’re passing out and feeling dizzy or weak.

If you’re dehydrated, your heart may find it more difficult to pump blood throughout your body, which can cause palpitations.

This isn’t necessarily anything to worry about unless you find it difficult to breathe, experience chest pain, or faint while having these symptoms.

Remain hydrated to avoid dehydration-related heart palpitations. If you do experience them, try to rehydrate or stop the likely cause for the dehydration and palpitations.