Definition:
A disorder of the heart
rate and heart rhythm involving extra or skipped heartbeats.
Ectopic heartbeats are an
arrhythmia involving small variations in an otherwise normal heartbeat.
They may, in many cases,
be without observable cause. They may be caused or aggravated by
excessive smoking, alcohol
consumption, caffeine, or other conditions such as heart disorders.
Symptoms:
* the sensation of feeling
heart beat (palpitations)
* the sensation of stopped
or skipped beats
Note: In many cases, the
person may have no symptoms.