Normal Resting Heart Rate For Adults
According to the American Heart Association , a normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 bpm . But some people may have a resting heart rate thats lower than 60 bpm and is still considered normal.
For example, athletes may find their heart rates are lower, sometimes as low as 40 bpm. Additionally, people taking certain medications, like beta-blockers, may also have a lower resting heart rate. Well explore more factors that can influence resting heart rate later on.
The table below shows the average normal resting heart rate for adults based on age.
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How Can You Find Out Your Resting Heart Rate
Fitness trackers with heart rate monitors can be surprisingly accurate. But you don’t have to rely on technology to get your numbers.
“The best way to determine your resting heart rate is to learn to take your pulse, says Dr. Mittal. This can be taken by palpating the pulse at your wrist or neck.
Here’s how to do it: Place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. If you want to check it at your wrist, place two fingers between the bone and the tendon, looking for your radial arterywhich is located on the thumb side of your wrist.
Once you find your pulse, count the number of beats in 15 seconds, then multiply that number by 4 to calculate your beats a minute, according to the Mayo Clinic.
While your heart rate may vary, it’s important to keep a healthy base rate. Once you know what that is for your body, keep tabs. If you start to notice changes with your heart rate, you should check in with your doctor, especially if you notice it consistently dipping way below your normal resting heart rate, or have frequent episodes of unexplained fast beating.
“If you’re a regular exerciser, but start to notice your routine takes more effort, or if you’re breathless or more tired than normal during your workout, it’s time to see a doctor,” says Traynor.
How Do You Find Your Pulse
The easiest place to find your pulse is in your wrist.
- Turn your hand so that your palm is facing upwards.
- Now place the three middle fingers from your other hand on your wrist in the outside groove below the base of your thumb.
- Press lightly to feel the pulse under your fingers. If you cant feel anything press slightly harder.
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How Does Ventricular Tachycardia Affect My Body
When you have ventricular tachycardia, less blood than normal goes to your cells and tissues. This is because your fast heartbeats dont allow enough time for your heart chambers to fill up before the next beat. Its like a bus that stops so briefly at a bus stop that it leaves people behind because there isnt time for everyone to board.
Whats Your Ideal Heart Rate
Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. You can measure it while at rest and while exercising . Your heart rate is one of the most reliable indicators that youre pushing yourself hard enough while exercising.
If youve been diagnosed with a heart problem or if you have any other risk factors of cardiovascular disease, talk to a doctor before you start exercising and trying to establish a training heart rate range. They can tell you which exercises are safe and appropriate for your condition and fitness level. Theyll also determine what your target heart rate should be and if you need to be monitored during physical activity.
Its helpful to know some basics so youre more informed when speaking with your doctor. Below are some important things to know about your heart rate.
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Which Types Of Doctors Treat Stress
A variety of mental-health care practitioners treat the emotional effects of stress and associated symptoms. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who are specialized in the care of mental illness and can prescribe medications if necessary. Primary care physicians, including internists and family practitioners, are often consulted by patients suffering from physical symptoms related to stress.
Fast Heart Rate And Age
Concern regarding a fast heart rate is going to differ based on the patients age and health. As a general rule, the younger you are, the lower your resting heart rate. As you get older, your resting heart rate increases. Interestingly, however, there are some patients who experience faster and slower heart rates at the same time. This phenomenon can be seen across many age groups. Thus, cause for concern is not 100% definable by age.
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When Is A Pulse Too Slow
Instead of a consistently fast heart rate, say yours is often under 60 beats per minute. That, too, can be caused by several different factors. Medications, sleep apnea, fitness level, an underactive thyroid, hypothermia, anorexia or a disorder affecting how electrical impulses travel through your heart are some of the causes of a slow heart rate.
If you have other symptoms along with a slow heart rate such as dizziness, fainting, fatigue, confusion or shortness of breath, see your health care provider.
Well-conditioned athletes often have a low resting heart rate in the 40s or 50s. This is because exercise strengthens the heart muscle, allowing it to pump more blood with each heartbeat, so the heart beats fewer times per minute. Older individuals also sometimes have a heart rate under 60 BPM. Regardless of age, its also normal for someones heart rate to dip lower than usual during sleep.
Even more important than your hearts rate is its rhythm. You can have a heart rate in the 30s or in the 120s, but if your heart rhythm is normal, that may not be dangerous.
Your pulse may even be normal and yet you have a dangerous heart rhythm, also called arrhythmia.
What Is A Normal Exercising Heart Rate
To determine what a normal exercising heart rate is, you first need to determine your age-predicted maximal heart rate. Here is the generalized equation for predicting maximal heart rate in healthy adults:
HRmax = 208
For example, a 20-year-old person, the age-predicted maximal heart rate would be 194 beats per minute and for a 65-year-old person, the age-predicted maximal heart rate would be 163 beats per minute. A simplified age-predicted maximal heart rate equation is commonly used, but it overestimates maximal heart rate in young adults and increasingly underestimates the maximal heart rate in older adults.
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What Are Heart Palpitations
A heart palpitation is when you suddenly become aware of your heart beating, usually in an irregular way. Sometimes you can feel it in your ears, neck or chest when youre lying down. Your heart beat may feel:
- too fast or slow
- like its fluttering
- like its thudding, or pounding.
It is not unusual to feel heart palpitations occasionally and mostly they are harmless. However if youre experiencing them on a regular basis, see your doctor.
Keys To Getting An Accurate Result
Resting heart rate is determined with a pulse measurement when you are relaxed and at rest. Do not take resting heart rate after:
- Active exercise
Some common causes of low heart rates include the following:
- Heart medications like beta-blockers, certain calcium channel blockers, and even some eye drops
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When Heart Rate Is Too High
Having a heart rate that’s considered too high is called tachycardia. In general, tachycardia refers to a heart rate that is above 100 beats per minute. This can be dangerous, but isn’t always.
There are different types of tachycardia. A higher heart rate naturally occurs when you’re exercising, for example. You can also experience tachycardia during scary or stressful events, if you consume a lot of caffeine, or if you are a heavy smoker.
Tachycardia can also occur when the electrical signals in your heart that cause it to beat are firing abnormally. Because your heart is beating faster than it should, it can’t fill back up completely. As a result, less blood is delivered to the rest of your body.
In some cases, tachycardia does not cause any symptoms. In others, it can cause:
- Nausea/vomiting
What Is My Role In Checking Out My Fast Heart Rate
If you are concerned about an elevated heart rate, make sure you arent currently dehydrated, and that you are being treated properly for any related medical condition.
If youve accounted for common causes of an elevated heart rate including reducing or eliminating caffeine and are still experiencing symptoms, make sure to see a doctor as soon as possible.
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Ive Been Having A Heart Rate Of 120 Bpm For The Last Hour At Rest Sitting
Ive been having a heart rate of 120 bpm for the last hour at rest, sitting down and relaxed Im lightheaded, no stimulus /stimulants no asthma meds, no cold, flu, fever,palpitations. The local hospital wont let me talk triage because my doctor isnt with the hospital I cant drive to the er but I dont know if I need a paramedic. I hate ambulances please what should I do?
This is where you need to talk to your doctor for guidance and where relying in the internet doesnt work well Although around a lot of the time, Im not always able to answer promptly.
Most doctors offices have after hours doctors on call.
Thank you for that note. Ill keep it in mind. MY heart rate finally went down 10 beats per minuts and I went to sleep. I woke up at 3 am while eating a very light snack and sitting down I got lightheaded again but today I feel better and I see my doctor today anyway.
Thank you for that note. Ill keep it in mind. MY heart rate finally went down 10 beats per minuts and I went to sleep. I woke up at 3 am while eating a very light snack and sitting down I got lightheaded again but today I feel better and I see my doctor today anyway. My doctor office doesnt have an after hours on call and because my doctor isnt affiliated with the hospital I wasnt able to speak to triage and I wasnt able to drive across town to the er.
Ask your doctor about the situation with regard to after hours care maybe theres a clinic?
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How Are Arrhythmias Treated
Many arrhythmias dont need treatment. For those that do, these options might be used:
- Medicines. Many types of prescription anti-arrhythmic medicines are available to treat arrhythmia. Sometimes, these can increase symptoms and cause side effects, so the patient will be closely watched by the doctor.
- Pacemakers. A pacemaker is a small battery-operated device implanted into the body through a surgical procedure. Connected to the heart by a wire, a pacemaker can detect if the heart rate is too slow and send electrical signals to speed up the heartbeat.
- Defibrillators. A small battery-operated implantable cardioverter defibrillator is surgically placed near the left collarbone. Wires run from the defibrillator to the heart. The ICD senses if the heart has a dangerously fast or irregular rhythm and sends an electrical signal to restore a normal heartbeat.
- Catheter ablation. A catheter is guided through a vein in the leg to the heart. Arrhythmias often are caused by microscopic defects in the heart muscle. Once the problem area of the heart is pinpointed, the catheter heats or freezes the defective muscle cells and destroys them.
- Surgery. Surgery is usually the treatment recommended only if all other options have failed. In this case, a person is put under anesthesia and a surgeon removes the tissue causing the arrhythmia.
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Know Your Numbers: Heart Rate
Topics in this Post
The better you understand your heart rate, the more you can maximize your movement to give your heart a good workout.
What is your heart rate?
Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats per minute. Your resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood you need because you’re not exercising. If you are sitting or lying down and you’re calm, relaxed and aren’t ill your heart rate is normally between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
Other factors can affect your heart rate include:
- Air temperature When temperatures or humidity increases, the heart pumps more blood so you pulse or heart rate may increase.
- Body position Sometimes when going from a sitting to a standing position, your pulse may go up a little. After a few minutes, it should return to a normal rate.
- Medications that block adrenaline tend to slow your heart rate. Thyroid medication may raise it.
Why your heart rate matters
Learn why you should track physical activity.
What’s considered normal?
Your target heart rate is the minimum heart rate in a given amount of time to reach the level of energy necessary to give your heart a good workout. To find your target heart rate to maximize your cardiovascular exercise, the first step is determining your maximum heart rate.
Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. Your target heart rate for moderate exercise is about 50%85% of your maximum heart rate.
Averages by age as a general guide are:
What Diet Plans Lifestyle Changes And Management Tips Help Treat Congestive Heart Failure Naturally
Lifestyle changes recommended by your doctor or other health care professional can help relieve symptoms, slow the progression of heart failure, and improve one’s quality of life. Lifestyle changes that may be helpful in preventing or relieving heart failure include those recommended by the American Heart Association and other organizations as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
- Once diagnosed and under the care of a qualified medical professional, patients can and should do several things at home to increase their comfort and reduce the chance of the condition getting worse.
- In fact, the more active role patients take in managing heart failure, the more likely they are to do well.
- Making the lifestyle changes described here will make a real difference. Not only will patients feel better, but they will increase their chances of a longer, healthier life.
Treat swelling with the following measures:
- Elevate the feet and legs if they are swollen.
- Eat a reduced-salt diet.
- Weigh in every morning before breakfast and record it in a diary that can be shown to a health care provider.
Avoid the following:
- Excessive emotional stress and/or depression
- Herbal or other complementary medicine without first consulting a doctor to see if they are safe
Patients with congestive heart failure should know the following information that may apply to their disease:
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How To Get Started If You’re New To Exercising
Below are a few different routines for getting started with aerobic exercise. Walking is the most popular activity in the country and so it’s featured in these routines.
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Atrial Or Supraventricular Tachycardia
Atrial or supraventricular tachycardia is an accelerated heart rhythm that starts in the upper chambers of the heart.
It is the most common heart rhythm problem in children and young people. Many people first experience it between the ages of 25 and 40 years.
An episode may last from a few minutes to several hours. It is not usually serious, but, in extreme cases, it unconsciousness and cardiac arrest.
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What The Resting Pulse Tells About Your Health
Your resting pulse can provide useful information about your health. Most of the times, a low resting heart rate can be an indicator of cardiovascular fitness, whereas a high resting heart rate can be adverse sign.
Beyond that, doctors may use information about your pulse for diagnostics. As mentioned above, an elevated heart rate can be a sign of an illness. Furthermore, it is used to determine how well the vessels are filled with blood.
As the heart rate indicates the speed and rhythm of the heartbeat, your doctor can also tell if your heart is beating smoothly or if you have a heart rhythm disorder, such as atrial fibrillation.
More information on cardiovascular health
Heart Rhythm Versus Heart Rate
Besides the rate of your heartbeat, your hearts rhythm is another indicator of whether your heart is healthy. Your heart muscle contracts and relaxes in a certain pattern. It could be regular, irregular, fast or slow.
A health care provider can tell if your heart rhythm is regular by listening to your heart with a stethoscope or examining an electrocardiogram or EKG, a test used to evaluate the heart.
If your heart rhythm is regular and yet you have a fast heart beat over 100 BPM your high pulse rate likely isnt heart-related. Whats driving your heart rate up could be dehydration, anxiety, fever, medications, anemia, sleep deprivation, an overactive thyroid or another issue.
However, if your heart rhythm is irregular, the question of whether you need to be concerned depends on whats causing it. Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and supraventricular tachycardia are all conditions in which the heart beats faster than normal or at an erratic pace. Left untreated, these conditions could lead to heart failure.
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