A pounding ticker after a 5-K is par for the course, but what about sudden palpitations – racing, skipped, or intense pulses that feel jarringly different? Here’s how to read that off-beat beat – and what to do if your heart is racing.

Is it rare? Pinpoint the cause

Alcohol, caffeine, intense exercise, and some cold and flu drugs can cause funky flutters, so if it’s only happened once or twice, and you can trace it to one of the above, you’re probably in the clear.

Read more: 5 heart attack symptoms in women that are super common (and scary)

Does this happen often?

Do you have irregular beats on the regular? Not sure what’s to blame, or notice a not-right rhythm often (say, twice a month)? See a doc to rule out high blood pressure, thyroid issues, or other heart problems.

Read more: 5 women share exactly what it feels like to have a heart attack

What are the other symptoms?

If your heart is racing, but you’re also dizzy, weak, or short of breath or feel chest pressure, book it to the ER. These are signs of serious heart problems that can raise your risk for blood clots, stroke, and heart attack by up to five times.

Read more: 3 major things your resting heart rate can tell you about your health

Try these tips to keep your heart health in check:

Eat fish

Eating fish four times a week could reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by 40%, according to a study in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

Tame your boozing

If you regularly binge drink, time-travel forward a couple of decades and your past boozy nights may have put you at risk of heart disease. Research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that downing multiple drinks in a short time on the reg can cause changes in circulation that increase an otherwise healthy adult’s risk of cardiovascular problems as they age.

Start running

Just five minutes of steady running, performed daily, will give you up to a 45% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than non-runners.

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.}

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