What should I do now?
Call 911
Call 911 for chest pressure, severe trouble breathing, fainting, or severe dizziness with palpitations. Do not drive yourself.
Contact your care team
Contact your care team for new or increasingly frequent palpitations, reduced activity, or troublesome symptoms.
Keep your care plan
Keep your treatment and follow-up plan. Bring questions, readings, and your medication list.
SECTION 2
What symptoms can PACs and PVCs cause?
PACs and PVCs can feel similar. The sensation alone usually cannot tell you whether an early beat starts in an upper or lower chamber. An EKG or heart monitor helps identify the difference.
What might I feel?
- A skipped or missed beat: The early beat may be difficult to feel, while the pause afterward is more noticeable.
- A strong thump: The next normal beat may feel more forceful.
- Fluttering or an extra beat: A brief interruption in your usual rhythm.
- Repeated irregular beats: These may come and go throughout the day.
Some people also notice shortness of breath or feel anxious when premature beats occur. These symptoms can have other causes, so discuss them with your care team.
Can I have premature beats without feeling them?
Yes. Many people have no symptoms. Premature beats may be found during an EKG or heart monitor recording.
How strongly you feel an early beat does not tell us how frequently it happens. Occasional beats can feel bothersome, while frequent beats may go unnoticed.
When should I contact my care team?
Contact your care team if symptoms are new, become more frequent, interfere with sleep or daily activities, or are accompanied by reduced exercise tolerance.
Record when symptoms occur, how long they last, and what you were doing. This can help match your symptoms with a rhythm recording.
When should I seek emergency care?
Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, severe shortness of breath, fainting, or severe dizziness that makes you feel you may pass out. Do not drive yourself.
Do not assume new or severe symptoms are just PACs or PVCs—even if you have been diagnosed with them before.
The key idea: Premature beats can feel unsettling or cause no symptoms at all. Recording the rhythm helps us understand what you are feeling and whether treatment may help.
Updated October 2026. Educational information; your own care plan may differ. Heart illustrations and EKG examples are simplified for teaching.