Feeling your heartbeat can happen for several common reasons and is usually not a cause for concern. This sensation, often called heart palpitations, can occur when you become unusually aware of your heart beating. Many people notice their heartbeat when they are lying down, especially with knees raised, or after eating because more blood flows through the abdominal area for digestion. Pregnant women also often feel their heartbeat more due to increased blood circulation. Additionally, emotions like excitement, fear, or anxiety can make your heart beat faster or more noticeably. Sometimes, these sensations are related to harmless irregular heartbeats called ectopic beats, where the heart contracts a bit earlier than usual, causing a sensation of skipped or extra beats. This can create a fluttering or pounding feeling. Often, the brain filters out the feeling of a normal heartbeat, but if your heart rhythm changes or becomes irregular, you become more aware of it. In rare cases, feeling a heartbeat in your stomach area can signal a more serious condition, such as an abdominal aortic aneurysm, where the main artery in your abdomen weakens and pulses strongly. Overall, feeling your heartbeat is common and usually harmless but can also be triggered by physical positions, digestion, emotions, or heart rhythm changes. If it becomes frequent, intense, or is accompanied by other symptoms, seeing a doctor is advisable.
