24/7 HEART RHYTHM CARE
Heart Palpitations ER in Houston — 24/7 Emergency Evaluation
Heart palpitations need emergency evaluation when your heart races or beats irregularly with chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting, or when a rapid heartbeat won’t settle down. The Heights Emergency Room in Houston is open 24/7 for walk-ins, with EKG testing and heart monitoring on site.
Open 24/7 • Walk-Ins Welcome • No Appointment Required
WHAT WE OFFER
Emergency Care for a Racing Heart, Day or Night
Open 24/7, Even Holidays
Palpitations often start at night or at rest. We are open every hour of every day.
Walk-Ins Welcome
No appointment or referral is needed for emergency evaluation.
EKG On Site
A 12-lead EKG to capture your heart rhythm.
Heart Monitoring
Continuous rhythm and oxygen monitoring when needed.
Lab Testing
Electrolytes, thyroid, and cardiac blood tests when indicated.
Near Houston Heights
101 N Loop W #300, Houston, TX 77018, on the North Loop.
Brief, occasional skipped beats are common and often harmless. A fast or irregular rhythm with other symptoms is different.
PALPITATION WARNING SIGNS
When Should You Go to the ER for Heart Palpitations?
Go to the ER if palpitations come with chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting, or if a fast or irregular heartbeat lasts more than a few minutes and won’t settle down. Palpitations in someone with known heart disease, a prior heart attack, or a family history of sudden cardiac death also deserve prompt evaluation.
An EKG taken while symptoms are happening is the most useful test, so it helps to be evaluated while your heart is still racing.
Get emergency care for palpitations with:
- Chest pain, pressure, or tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Fainting or near-fainting
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- A heart rate that stays very fast at rest
- An irregular rhythm that won’t stop
- Palpitations during exercise
- Known heart disease or a heart device
PATIENT REVIEWS
What Patients Say About The Heights Emergency Room
4.7
★★★★★
Based on 664 Google reviews (as of October 2026)
Patients frequently mention a welcoming atmosphere and a clean facility.
E
Erika M. on Google
★★★★★
My sister went into anaphylactic shock while at work and her airway started to close. When we walked in the receptionist took one look at her swelling and ushered us to a medical suite. … I am immensely grateful to the care staff here. Their professionalism and efficiency went a long way to keep my sister calm during the whole process.
K
Kendi on Google
★★★★★
I had a great experience at The Heights Emergency Room after a head injury. … Dr. Zahid was very thorough in his evaluation and took the time to explain everything clearly. … I’m very grateful for the excellent care I received and would highly recommend The Heights Emergency Room!
A
Ahson W. on Google
★★★★★
Very good service. I brought my son here and they very quickly attended to him. … Abdullah took my son’s blood and Pablo administered the CT scan. … Dr. Khan explained the results thoroughly and professionally.
M
Michelle R. on Google
★★★★★
I had a great experience at this ER. The facility was very clean, and the staff was attentive, professional, and compassionate. They took the time to listen to my concerns and made sure all of my needs were addressed. I felt well cared for throughout my visit.
S
Samantha M. on Google
★★★★★
The staff here are amazing!! I had an embarrassing and painful health issue. … This staff made me feel so comfortable and supported through the pain, I didn’t feel embarrassed. … I left feeling heard, educated, and 1000% better!
Need emergency care now?
The Heights Emergency Room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. No appointment needed.
Reviews reflect individual patient experiences; care and outcomes vary.
Heart Racing?
The Heights Emergency Room is open 24/7 with EKG testing on site and no appointment needed.
For fainting, chest pain, or severe shortness of breath, call 911.
On This Page
Heart Racing? We’re Open 24/7
Emergency evaluation is available day and night at The Heights Emergency Room.
Should I Go to the ER for a Racing Heartbeat?
A racing heart is often caused by stress, caffeine, or exercise, but it can also signal an abnormal rhythm.
Go to the ER if a racing heart
- Starts and stops suddenly and won’t settle
- Comes with chest pain or shortness of breath
- Makes you dizzy or faint
- Feels irregular and chaotic
- Doesn’t slow down with rest
Abnormal rhythms such as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or atrial fibrillation can often be identified with an EKG.
Are Palpitations With Dizziness an Emergency?
They can be. Dizziness or lightheadedness during palpitations can mean the heart isn’t pumping enough blood.
Palpitations with dizziness, near-fainting, or fainting should be evaluated promptly, because some rhythm problems can be dangerous. Fainting during exercise or while lying down is especially concerning. Learn more about dizziness on our severe headache and dizziness page.
Racing Heart With Chest Pain
Palpitations with chest pain or pressure can signal a heart attack, reduced blood flow to the heart, or a dangerous rhythm.
Call 911 if chest pain is severe, comes with sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw, or doesn’t ease within a few minutes. Learn more on our chest pain ER page.
Palpitations With Shortness of Breath
A fast heartbeat with breathlessness may mean the heart is struggling, or that a lung problem such as a blood clot is the cause.
Seek emergency care for palpitations with shortness of breath at rest, swelling in the legs, or breathlessness when lying flat. Sudden breathlessness with a racing heart and sharp chest pain can signal a pulmonary embolism. See our shortness of breath ER page.
COMMON RHYTHM PROBLEMS
Atrial Fibrillation, SVT, and Common Triggers
Several rhythm problems and everyday triggers can cause palpitations.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) causes an irregular, often fast heartbeat and raises the risk of stroke. New AFib, or AFib with a very fast rate, dizziness, or breathlessness, needs prompt evaluation. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) causes a sudden, very fast, regular heartbeat that often starts and stops abruptly.
Common triggers include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, stimulant medications, decongestants, dehydration, lack of sleep, anxiety, fever, pregnancy, and an overactive thyroid. Anxiety can cause palpitations, but a rhythm problem should be ruled out first.
YOUR ER VISIT
What Happens When You Visit the ER for Palpitations?
When you arrive, the team checks your heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen level and records your heart rhythm.
12-Lead EKG
An EKG records your heart’s electrical activity and can identify rhythm problems, especially while symptoms are happening.
Blood Tests
Electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium, thyroid function, blood counts, and cardiac markers can point to a cause.
Monitoring & Treatment
Heart rhythm monitoring and, when appropriate, IV medication to slow or convert a fast rhythm.
Treatment depends on your rhythm and evaluation. Patients who need cardiology procedures or admission are transferred.
What Can Cause Heart Palpitations?
Possible causes can include:
Heart Rhythm Problems
Atrial fibrillation, SVT, extra beats, and, less commonly, dangerous ventricular rhythms.
Stimulants
Caffeine, energy drinks, nicotine, decongestants, and some medications or drugs.
Medical Conditions
Overactive thyroid, anemia, dehydration, low potassium or magnesium, fever, and pregnancy.
Stress & Anxiety
Anxiety and panic attacks, considered after other causes are ruled out.
This list is general information, not a diagnosis. Dehydration from heat or illness can also raise your heart rate; see our dehydration care page.
QUICK ANSWERS
Heart Palpitation Questions, Answered
Should I go to the ER for a racing heartbeat?
Go to the ER if a racing heartbeat comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting, or if it stays fast at rest and won’t settle down. A brief racing heart after caffeine, exercise, or stress that quickly resolves is usually not an emergency. Call 911 for fainting or severe chest pain.
Are heart palpitations with dizziness an emergency?
They can be. Palpitations with dizziness, lightheadedness, or near-fainting may mean an abnormal rhythm is reducing blood flow and should be evaluated promptly with an EKG. Call 911 if the person faints, has chest pain, or becomes confused.
Where can I get an EKG for palpitations in Houston?
The Heights Emergency Room at 101 N Loop W #300, Houston, TX 77018, performs 12-lead EKGs 24/7, along with heart rhythm monitoring and blood tests. No appointment is needed. Coming in while your heart is still racing gives the best chance of capturing the rhythm.
Should I go to the ER if my heart is racing with chest pain?
Yes. A racing heart with chest pain or pressure can signal a heart attack or a dangerous rhythm and needs immediate evaluation. Call 911 if the pain is severe or comes with sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, or pain in the arm or jaw, or if you feel faint.
When do palpitations with shortness of breath require emergency care?
Palpitations with shortness of breath need emergency care when breathlessness occurs at rest, worsens quickly, or comes with chest pain, dizziness, leg swelling, or difficulty lying flat. These can signal heart failure, a dangerous rhythm, or a blood clot in the lungs. Call 911 for severe breathing difficulty.
EMERGENCY SAFETY
When Should You Call 911 for Palpitations?
Call 911 for palpitations with signs that the heart or brain isn’t getting enough blood.
Call 911 for:
- Fainting or nearly fainting
- Chest pain or pressure
- Severe shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Facial drooping or one-sided weakness
- A very fast heartbeat with sweating and weakness
- A shock from an implanted heart device
- Collapse during exercise
Paramedics can monitor your heart rhythm, give medications, and use a defibrillator if needed on the way.
Don’t drive while your heart is racing or if you feel faint.
WHERE TO GO
ER vs Urgent Care for Heart Palpitations
Brief, occasional skipped beats can be discussed with your primary care doctor. A racing or irregular heartbeat that is happening now, especially with other symptoms, needs an emergency room with EKG and heart monitoring.
Call 911
- Fainting
- Chest pain
- Severe shortness of breath
- Stroke symptoms
Go to the ER
- A racing heart that won’t settle
- A new irregular heartbeat
- Palpitations with dizziness
- Palpitations with known heart disease
- Palpitations during exercise
Your Doctor or Cardiologist
- Occasional skipped beats that resolve
- Caffeine-related palpitations that pass quickly
- Follow-up for a known, stable rhythm
If you are unsure, choose the ER.
Learn more about the difference between urgent care and the ER.
24/7 Heart Palpitation Evaluation in Houston
Heart rhythm problems can start at any time. The Heights Emergency Room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
Emergency Physician Evaluation
Assessment of heart rate and rhythm.
12-Lead EKG
To identify the heart rhythm.
Heart Monitoring
Continuous rhythm monitoring.
Laboratory Testing
Electrolytes, thyroid, cardiac markers.
IV Medication
To slow or convert certain fast rhythms.
Transfer Coordination
Arranged for cardiology care.
Testing and treatment depend on your symptoms and the physician’s evaluation.
Heart Palpitations ER Near Houston Heights
The Heights Emergency Room is a freestanding emergency room at 101 N Loop W #300, Houston, TX 77018, along the North Loop (610). It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for adults and children with a racing or irregular heartbeat and can be reached at (281) 560-4373.
The Heights Emergency Room
101 N Loop W #300
Houston, TX 77018
Houston, TX 77018
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
If you are searching for:
- Racing heart ER near me
- Heart palpitations ER in Houston
- EKG near Houston Heights
- Irregular heartbeat emergency room
The Heights Emergency Room is open day and night for heart rhythm evaluation.
Serving Houston Heights and Nearby Neighborhoods
Patients with racing or irregular heartbeats come to us from across central and northwest Houston—including Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Houston Heights, Timbergrove, Woodland Heights, Independence Heights, the Northside, Rice Military, the Washington Avenue corridor, First Ward, and Downtown. Our North Loop location is a short drive from many of these neighborhoods.
ZIP 77018
Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, and Independence Heights / Central Northwest
ZIP 77008
Houston Heights, Lazybrook, and Timbergrove
ZIP 77009
Heights East, Northside, and the Woodland Heights area
ZIP 77022
Independence Heights and Northline / Northside
ZIP 77007
Washington Avenue, Rice Military, the western and southern Heights, and First Ward
ZIP 77002
Downtown, northern Downtown, and nearby First Ward areas
Travel times vary with traffic and time of day.
FAQ
Heart Palpitations ER — Frequently Asked Questions
Most palpitations are harmless, especially brief skipped beats. They can be serious when they come with chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fainting, or when you have heart disease.
Yes. Anxiety and panic attacks commonly cause a pounding or racing heart. Because a rhythm problem can feel similar, new or severe palpitations should be evaluated before they’re attributed to anxiety.
Yes. Dehydration, especially in Houston’s heat, can raise your heart rate and cause palpitations and lightheadedness.
Sit or lie down and stay calm. If your doctor has taught you a vagal maneuver, you may try it. Seek care if the racing doesn’t stop within a few minutes or you have other symptoms, and call 911 for fainting or chest pain.
Yes. Heart-rate or rhythm recordings from a smartwatch or home device can help your physician, though an EKG is still needed to confirm the rhythm.
No. Walk-ins are welcome 24/7, and you can check in online before you arrive.
Medical disclaimer: This page provides general health information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Heart Racing or Irregular? Emergency Care Is Available 24/7
Get a racing or irregular heartbeat checked, especially with chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness.
For fainting, chest pain, or severe shortness of breath, call 911 immediately.
