A Complete Guide About Pulse & Normal Heart Rate

What is Your Heart Rate?

Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in a minute. Your body matches the heartbeat as per the activity you do in your daily life. This is why your heartbeat becomes fast when you are excited, active, or scared and slows down when you are at rest, in a comfortable position, or calm. This heart rate indicates your overall health and implies that it may be a sign of heart disease if it is too low or too high. Your doctor can sense the heart rate and diagnose any underlying medical condition.

Is There a Difference Between Your Heart Rate And Your Pulse?

Your heart rate and pulse are interrelated but not the same.

Your heart rate is how fast your heart beats in a minute, while your pulse is how you feel your heart rate. When your heart beats, it circulates blood through a network of arteries. The pulse indicates the pressure built up in the streets that gradually goes up as the heart pushes the blood to keep it circulating in the body.

Your heart relaxes in between the beats and exerts pressure back down again. That is why you can feel the heartbeat like a single push instead of constant pressure. Usually, a normal heart pulse rate indicates that the person is physically fit. This implies your heart doesn't need to beat fast to keep your body healthy and in good condition.

What Are The Different Ways to Feel Your Pulse, And Why Do They Matter?

It is easy to feel your pulse at certain places in your body. You must use your index finger and ring finger to feel the pulse at the following parts:

• Neck: Start from your earlobe and move your finger along the skin straight down. You can sense your pulse underneath your jawbone.
• Wrist: While keeping your palm upward, hold your hand; you can sense the pulse where the muscle of your thumb merges with the wrist.
• Inside your elbow: Move your fingers of opposite hands to the centre hollow area of your elbow. Now, pull your fingers towards your body along the skin. You can sense the pulse a little off-centre of the inside of your elbow. 

Along with the abovementioned parts, your healthcare provider can also check your pulse from other locations. Although these places are hard to find without training, your healthcare provider may refer to such locations to discover the specific issues. These include:

• Temporal (on the upper side of your ear canal, forward to the fleshy ridge, where your cheek meets the ear).
• Chest (place above your heart)
• Belly
• The place where the upper thigh and body meet.
• Behind your knee
• On your feet

How Do I Use My Pulse to Measure My Normal Heart Rate?

Once you have found the pulse (the easiest place is to find it on your neck or wrist), you can measure the pulse rate by counting your heartbeats in a minute. If you want to calculate the pulse faster, you only need a little bit of maths. Given below is the easiest way to calculate your normal heart pulse rate:

• For 10 seconds, count your heartbeat. Once 10 seconds are over, multiply the number by six.
• For 15 seconds, count your heartbeat. Once the counting is over, multiply the number by four.
• Count the heartbeat for 30 seconds. When 30 seconds are over, multiply the number with two. 

The number you will get from any of these steps will be your 'beats per minute', which will be your heart rate. The abbreviation for beats per minute is 'bpm'. 

When you measure your heart rate in an inactive condition, that will be your resting heart rate. You can also calculate your heart rate during exercise, as it is the best way to know the intensity of your workout.

Should I Be Able To Hear My Pulse In My Ears?

Yes, you can hear your pulse in your ears. You can listen to the vibration by resting your head on the hand or arm. However, you cannot hear the sound once you change your position. But even after changing your position, you must contact your healthcare provider to see if you can listen to the pulse level.

What Heart Rate Should I Expect to Have?

The normal heart pulse rate of your body will depend on your age and your overall health condition. Normal heart rate by age is supposed to be higher in young children. Here is the expected resting heart rate for children:

• Newborn (up to 4 weeks): 100 - 205 beats bpm
• Infant (4 weeks to 1 year): 100 - 180 bpm
• Toddler (1 to 3 years): 98 -140 bpm
• Preschool (3 to 5 years): 80 - 120 bpm
• School-age (5 to 12 years): 75 - 118 bpm
• Adolescents (13 to 18 years): 60 - 100 bpm 

The above resting heart rate mentioned for children is in the condition when awake. The heart rate will be lower when they are asleep. For adults above 18 years, the normal heart rate by that age is expected to be around 60-100 bpm.

What is a Normal Heart Rate?

A normal heart pulse rate in adults is between 60-100 bpm. You can measure your resting heart rate by counting your pulse.

Usually, a lower heart rate usually indicates better body functioning and heart fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete may have a normal heart rate of around 40 beats per minute.

What Things Affect Heart Rate?

Several factors can affect your resting heart rate and can make it beat fast or slow. Let's take a look at such factors:

• Emotions and anxiety can change your resting heart rate. When you are depressed or anxious, your body will release hormones, which include adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones can cause your heart to beat more rapidly.
• Body temperature also affects your resting heart rate. When it is hot, your body will radiate warmth to cool down. This will increase your heart rate.
• Your age also affects the rate of your heart pulse normally. For instance, in old age, your heart can't beat as fast as it did when you were young.

What if My Resting Normal Heart Rate is Not in The Expected Range?

You must consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is continuously above 100 beats in a minute. Such a condition is called tachycardia. You must also consult a doctor if you are not a trained athlete and your heart rate is below 60 bpm. This condition is called bradycardia.

Furthermore, you should also seek medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms in addition to a sluggishly normal heart pulse rate:

• Chest aches
• Bewilderment and memory issues
• Lightheadedness
• Absence of vigour
• Palpitations in the heart

What Are My Target And Maximum Heart Rates?

Your target heart rate is the ideal range in which your heart will function properly, even during moderate-intensity exercise. Moderate-intensity exercise is considered to be healthy for the heart and does not put a strain on your body.

Exercising very strenuously allows you to reach up to 95% of your maximum resting heart rate. However, you must ensure not to go too high, as excessive strain on your heart will make potential risks outweigh the benefits.

Even if you are not exercising regularly, you must speak with your healthcare provider before starting any exercise, especially when you have any heart disease. Your healthcare provider will be suitable to guide you on effective and safe ways to exercise without putting your well-being at risk and help you maintain a normal pulse rate.

Here is the chart to know your target and maximum heart rates.

Here is a simple maths trick you can do yourself to know the maximum and target rates.

• 220 - your age = your maximum heart rate
• Maximum * 0.6 will be your low-end target range
• Maximum * 0.8 will be your high-end target range.

Let's take an example here to understand this calculation in a better manner. Suppose your age is 20 years. Then, your maximum heart rate will be around 200 bpm (i.e., 220-20=200). At this age, your low-end target range will be around 120bpm (i.e., 200*0.6=120), and your high-end target range will be around 160bpm (i.e., 200* 0.8=160 bpm)

What Should I Do If I'm Concerned About My Normal Heart Rate?

If you are concerned about your resting heart rate, you must consult your healthcare provider. They are suitable people who can inform you about your questions or refer you to a specialist if needed.

If you are experiencing any of the following signs, then you must consult your healthcare provider:

• Resting heart pulse normal consistently is too high or too low.
• An irregular heartbeat or a heartbeat that skips with time.
• Suppose you get a vibrating sensation instead of a single 'thump' while counting your pulse. This condition is called 'thrill' and indicates some heart-related problems.
• If you have heart palpitations, i.e., you get an unpleasant sensation of your heartbeat without feeling the normal range of the pulse rate.

Moreover, it is advised to go for an annual health checkup so that the healthcare provider can measure the heart rate and identify heart-related problems, if any, which can be treated early.

Conclusion

Your heart rate by age is the simplest way to know about your heart condition. It is quite easy for your healthcare provider to detect any change in your heartbeat and know about the problems you might be facing. By understanding your heart rate especially the target heart rate, you can carry on your exercise smartly. Therefore, your doctor may recommend lab tests like lipid profile to know your heart condition and can initiate the desired treatment by knowing your average heart pulse. So, contact Metropolis for any lab test and book your slot. This lab also offers convenient and affordable home blood collection services, making pathology services a cakewalk!