What are the dangers of an irregular heartbeat?

It’s very common for people to have an occasional irregular heartbeat. A person might feel like the heart has skipped a beat or an electrocardiogram (heart tracing) shows some minor heart rate variation. These slight changes rarely mean there is a serious heart problem. But if you do feel something is not right, you should arrange for medical evaluation. This is especially true if you have any other symptoms such as lightheadedness, chest pain or shortness of breath.