hard "knock" after a skipped beat

[LissaJC]

I am a 31 yr old female with no health problems.  I am on my feet all day walking...I know this is not truely considered exercise since it is at work and not a constant state of movement...just know I am not sitting around.  I quit smoking about 4 months ago.. Anyway...for a while now my heart will go into these periods where it will stop beating for a second, then when it starts again I feel a hard rolling knock in my chest...you can feel it when taking my pulse and also when feeling my chest.  I have also been feeling as though I am not getting enough oxygen, no matter how many deep breaths I take.  What could this be and do I need to see a Dr. for this?

[daisyone]

This is most likely PVCs (also called ectopic beats): it's not really a missed heart beat, just feels like one.  They are harmless.

But sometimes people do experience true missed beats, usually caused by heart block: I have this, and thought I just had PVCs, so it's worth getting it checked out.

Either way, you're not in any immediate danger, so don't worry.  But do see a cardiologist who can give you a  24 hour or 7 day ECG recording.  This will let you know for certain.

[itdood]

I would recommend you see a cardiologist for it, and have them do the basic tests and get an event monitor.  

I think you are probably just feeling isolated PVCs but that's just a guess.  It's always wise to further investigate these to rule out any issue.  Almost always these are benign, but wise to make that determination.

[Jerry_NJ]

Sorry you didn't get a response sooner, and I'm not much help, but here goes.

There are many thing that can cause heart rhythm problems, including stress, anxiety, depression (mental stuff), so think about it.  If any of these can be associated with the onset of the "knock", then that may be the problem.

You say one second, is that a literal time measurement or a figure of speech?  At rest a real good rhythm would be one-per-second, i.e., 60 bpm.  If 1 second bothers you, you may have a much higher HR, and that may be the real issue.  Measure your resting HR and be sure it is under 100, way under, like 60-70 would be real good.

If you resting HR is over 100 or the condition does not self resolve soon a visit to a doctor seems a good idea.  Perhaps it is time for a regular health check-up with a doctor that also does a electrocardiogarm check of the heart.

Good luck.