Feeling Your Heartbeat in Your Stomach: Causes and When to Seek Help

Feeling Your Heartbeat in Your Stomach: Common Causes and When to See a Doctor

Have you ever felt like your heartbeat was coming from your stomach, rather than your chest? This unusual sensation can be alarming, but is often harmless. In most cases, feeling your pulse in your abdomen is simply due to the normal transmission of cardiac activity through soft tissues. However, there are some underlying conditions that can also lead to this symptom. Here, we’ll explore the common causes for feeling your heartbeat in your stomach and when it warrants medical attention.

What Causes a Heartbeat Sensation in the Stomach?

There are a few possible explanations for perceiving your heartbeat in your abdomen, including:

• Normal transmission of cardiac pulsations
• Stomach positioning
• Anxiety or stress
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Aortic aneurysm or dissection

Let’s look at each of these causes in more detail:

Normal Transmission of Cardiac Pulsations

Feeling your pulse in your stomach is often simply due to your heartbeat being transmitted through soft tissues. Your heart’s contractions send pulsations through your arteries and veins, which can be felt in nearby body areas. The abdominal area contains many blood vessels, so it’s common to perceive cardiac activity there.

If you are relatively slim, you may be more likely to feel your heartbeat through the abdomen. Greater fat deposits in the belly can dampen the transmission of pulsations. But for most people, feeling your pulse in the stomach area is not a major cause for concern on its own.

Stomach Positioning

Another potential factor is stomach positioning. Some people have a stomach that sits higher in the abdomen, bringing it into closer contact with the heart. This means cardiac pulses are more apt to be felt in the upper belly.

A stomach that protrudes outward can also increase awareness of a heartbeat sensation. This may be the case with abdominal bloating, overeating, or excess abdominal fat. If your stomach sticks out more, you are simply more likely to feel pulsations from the heart through it.

Anxiety or Stress

Feelings of anxiety or stress can also make your heartbeat more noticeable, including in the stomach area. When you feel anxious or stressed, your body secretes hormones like adrenaline. This speeds up your heart rate and breathing, providing more oxygen to respond to perceived threats.

A faster pulse along with hyperawareness of bodily sensations means you may feel your heartbeat more strongly. The abdomen contains many nerve endings that can detect pulsations. So anxiety or stress makes you tune in to these signals from your racing heart.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Certain gastrointestinal issues may also contribute to feeling your heartbeat in the upper abdomen. For example, conditions like gastritis or stomach ulcers can cause inflammation in the region. This may make you more sensitive to pulsations from nearby blood vessels.

A bloated or distended stomach from conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can also play a role. Anything enlarging your abdomen or causing discomfort can make you focus on physical sensations from your stomach. This includes normal cardiac activity being transmitted there.

Aortic Aneurysm or Dissection

Rarely, an abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection causes an unusual heartbeat sensation. The abdominal aorta is the largest blood vessel in the abdomen. An aneurysm is a ballooning out of a weakened section that can eventually rupture. A dissection is bleeding into the artery wall that splits its layers.

If the abdominal aorta is affected by aneurysm or dissection, you may feel an abnormal pulsing sensation. This is due to turbulence in blood flow through the damaged vessel. If suspected, seek emergency medical care, as these conditions are life-threatening.

When to See a Doctor

In most cases, feeling your heartbeat in your stomach is not alarming on its own. But in some situations, it warrants medical evaluation:

• The sensation is new or changing
• It occurs alongside other symptoms like pain or swelling
• You have risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm
• You feel lightheaded, dizzy, or short of breath

See a doctor promptly if:

• You have sudden, severe abdominal or back pain
• You feel a pulsating or vibrating sensation in your abdomen
• You have symptoms of arrhythmia like palpitations or fluttering

Contact emergency services immediately if you experience:

• Sudden, intense abdominal or back pain
• Fainting, dizziness, or lightheadedness
• Cold sweats or clammy skin
• Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal swelling

These may indicate a life-threatening condition like an aortic aneurysm rupture or heart attack that requires urgent medical treatment.

Evaluating an Irregular Heartbeat

If you notice a fluttering, racing, or irregular heartbeat along with stomach pulsations, an arrhythmia may be to blame. Heart rhythm disorders like atrial fibrillation, premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), or heart block can sometimes be felt in the upper abdomen.

Your doctor will listen to your heart with a stethoscope to check for murmurs, rapid rate, or irregular rhythm. They may also order electrocardiogram (ECG) testing to examine the heart’s electrical activity. Further evaluation or treatment like medications or pacemakers may be recommended for significant arrhythmias.

Checking for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

If an abdominal aortic aneurysm is suspected, your doctor will check for key signs like pulsating abdominal mass and abdominal bruit (whooshing sound). They will likely order imaging tests like an abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI scan to examine the abdominal aorta.

Depending on the aneurysm’s size and rate of growth, options may include monitoring with imaging, trying medication to slow progression, or repairing it surgically. Prompt treatment is key to avoiding a dangerous rupture.

When is Feeling Your Heartbeat in Your Stomach Normal?

In most cases, feeling your heartbeat in your stomach is not a cause for concern. This is considered normal in the following general situations:

• The sensation is intermittent or occasional
• It has been present for a long time or since youth
• It occurs without other worrisome symptoms
• Your heartbeat maintains a regular rhythm
• You have no family history of aortic aneurysm
• You have no other signs of illness or distress

However, if the feeling is new, chronic, or accompanied by other issues like pain, be sure to get it checked out. Contact your doctor anytime something seems off with your heart or abdomen.

Coping Tips for Feeling Your Heartbeat

These tips can help you manage perceiving your pulse in the abdomen when appropriate:

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants that may worsen awareness
• Engage in relaxing activities to lower stress and anxiety
• Distract yourself with something engaging like a hobby, movie, or conversation
• Try relaxing exercises like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing
• Talk to a therapist if anxiety is interfering with daily life
• Discuss medications that may aid anxiety or stomach issues

Focus on the sensation only when necessary, like when tracking a suspected arrhythmia. Otherwise practice tuning it out and minimizing distress.

The Bottom Line

Noticing your heartbeat in your stomach likely means you are simply feeling cardiac pulsations being transmitted through abdominal tissues. This is usually harmless. But pay attention for any worrisome changes or accompanying symptoms. Promptly report abdominal pulsations with sudden pain, lightheadedness, or other distressing signs to your doctor as well.

With appropriate evaluation and monitoring, most causes of feeling your pulse in the belly will not be detrimental to your health. But it never hurts to get checked out when something seems abnormal. Keep your doctor informed of any odd bodily sensations so underlying conditions can be caught early.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.