The pulse shape is normal. What is a person's normal heart rate? Pulse rate helps in diagnosis

Pulse is the vibration of arterial vessels that is associated with the work of the heart. But doctors consider the pulse more broadly: all changes in the vessels of the cardiac system that are associated with it. Each characteristic of the pulse indicates a norm or deviation in the state of activity of the heart muscles.

Main characteristics of pulse

Heart vibrations have six main indicators that can be used to diagnose the functioning of the heart muscles. The pulse and its characteristics are the rhythm and frequency of the beats, the force of the beats and tension, as well as the shape of the vibrations. The level of blood pressure is also characterized by the properties of the pulse. Based on the fluctuations in heartbeat, specialists can determine the disease that the patient is suffering from.

Rhythm

Heart rhythm is the cyclic alternation of “beats” of the heart muscles over the course of a minute. These are vibrations of the walls of the artery. They characterize the movement of blood through the arteries during heart contractions. For diagnostic purposes, the pulse is measured at the temple, thigh, under the knee, posterior tibia and other places where arteries pass close to the surface of the body. In patients, the rhythm of heart beats is often disturbed.

Frequency

The pulsation frequency is the number of “beats” per minute. It can be counted by pressing on the arterial vessels. Heart rate (pulse) over a wide range of loads characterizes the speed at which blood is pushed through. There are two types of heart rate deviations:

bradycardia (slow heartbeat);
tachycardia (fast heartbeat).

The contraction interval can be calculated with a tonometer, and not just by simple palpation. The frequency rate depends on the age of the person whose pulse is measured. The frequency depends not only on age and pathologies. With physical activity, the frequency also increases.

If your heart rate is high, you need to find out what your blood pressure is. If it is low, it is necessary to use drugs that reduce the rate of contractions by any of the methods available to the patient, since too rapid heartbeats are very dangerous.

Heart beat size

The magnitude of the “blows” is characterized by the tension of the oscillatory movements and filling. These indicators are the condition of the arteries, as well as their elasticity. There are such deviations:

strong pulse if there is ejection into the aorta large quantity blood;
weak pulse if the aorta is narrowed, for example, or vascular stenosis;
intermittent, if large heartbeats alternate with weak ones;
thread-like, if vibrations are almost not palpable.

Voltage

This parameter is determined by the force that must be applied to stop blood flow in the artery. Voltage is determined by the level of systolic blood pressure. There are different types of deviations:

hard contractions seen with high level pressure;
soft ones occur when the artery is easily blocked without effort.

Filling

This parameter is influenced by the quantitative volume of blood released into the artery. It affects the strength of vibration of the vascular walls. If the filling during the study is normal, the pulse is considered full. If the filling of the arteries is weak, the pulse will be weakly filled. For example, with a large loss of blood. At hypertensive crisis heartbeats are very full.

Pulse form

This indicator depends on the value of pressure vibration between vascular contractions. There are several options for deviation from the normal value of the indicator:

rapid heartbeats occur when a large volume of blood enters from the ventricles and the elasticity of the arteries (This leads to a decrease in diastolic pressure);
slow with slight changes in blood pressure (with a decrease in the cross-section of the aortic walls or mitral valve dysfunction);
speech attacks are observed during the passage of an additional wave.

Parvus, tardus means “slow, small”. This filling of pulsations is typical when the amplitude of oscillations decreases and the speed decreases. Pulse tardus parvus is characteristic of patients with mitral valve disease or suffering from narrowing of the main artery.

Where and how can you explore?

There are a limited number of places on the human body where pulse contractions can be examined. And there are many fewer options for studying it at home. It is possible to examine the pulse without using instruments only by palpation. You can find and measure the quality and strength of your heartbeats at:

wrist (near the radius);
elbow;
brachial or axillary arteries;
temples;
feet;
neck (where the carotid artery is located);
jaws.

In addition, pulsation can be easily felt in the groin or popliteal fossa.

Normal pulse frequency

The rate of heart beat fluctuations varies depending on age. For a newborn baby, the number of beats is about 110 beats. At 5 years of age, their rate fluctuates around 86, and for 60 years, heartbeats fluctuate around 65 per minute. Doctors compiled a table of pulse fluctuation values:

This pulse is a beating in the jugular veins, in the fossa of the neck and several other places that are located close to the heart. It is impossible to measure it at the site of small veins.

The properties of the venous pulse, like the arterial pulse, are characterized by frequency, rhythm and other parameters. A study of the veins is carried out to determine what the pulse wave is and to assess venous pressure. The easiest way to study is the right inner jugular vein. Venous pulse is measured as follows:

the person is placed on the bed at an angle of 30 degrees;
the neck muscles need to be relaxed;
the neck is positioned so that the light falls tangentially to the skin of the neck;
The hand is applied to the veins in the neck.

To compare the phases of the venous and cardiac cycles and not confuse them, the left vein is palpated.

Other research methods

One of the main ways to study the venous pulse is venography. This is a way of recording cardiac vibrations associated with the filling of large veins that are located near the heart. Registration is carried out in the form of a venogram.

More often, the device for this purpose is fixed near the jugular veins. There the pulse is more clearly expressed and can be felt with your fingers.

Diagnostic value

A phlebogram evaluates the quality of the pulse, which characterizes the state of the vascular wall of the veins, allows one to determine the shape and length of blood waves, and judge the functioning and pressure of the right heart parts. In pathology, the graphic representation of individual waves changes. They increase, decrease, and sometimes even disappear. For example, when there is difficulty in the outflow of blood from the right atrium, the force of contractions increases.

This type of pulse is nothing more than redness of the edge of the nail plate when pressing on it. A similar effect can be performed with a special glass on the patient’s lips or forehead. With a normal capillary rhythm, in the area of pressure along the border of the spot, one can observe rhythmic redness - blanching, which appears in time with heart contractions. These skin manifestations were first described by Quincke. The presence of a rhythm of capillary flows is characteristic of insufficient functioning of the aortic valves. The higher the degree of insufficiency of the latter, the more pronounced the capillary pulsation.

There are precapillary pulses and true pulses. True is the pulsation of the branches of the capillaries. It is easy to identify: noticeable pulsating redness of the nail at the end of the nail plate in young patients after exposure to the sun, in a bath, etc. Such pulsation often indicates thyrotoxicosis, a deficiency of blood flow in the arteries or veins.

Precapillary pulsation (Quincke) is characteristic of vessels larger than capillaries; it manifests itself when arterioles pulsate. It can be seen on the nail bed without pressing, it is also visible on the lips or forehead. Such pulsation is observed with aortic dysfunction in systole with a large stroke volume and a powerful wave that reaches the arterioles.

Identification technique

This pulsation is determined, as mentioned above, by pressing on the patient’s nail plate. Pressure methods are described above. A test for the presence of these heartbeats is carried out in case of suspected pathology of the circulatory system.

There are several ways to detect this type of pulse.

Pulse rate

There are no normal characteristics of the capillary pulse. It is simply impossible to see such pulsation with the naked eye if circulatory system healthy.

Pulse (from Latin pulsus - blow, push) - periodic, associated with contractions of the heart, oscillations of the walls of blood vessels, caused by the dynamics of their blood supply and pressure in them during one cardiac cycle. There are arterial, venous and capillary pulses.

Normal heart rate indicators are manifested by its rhythm and frequency of vibrations per minute. A normal pulse in a person implies compliance with the rhythmicity of the appearance of pulse waves, which are recorded equally often in one unit of time. In a situation where the appearance of pulse waves is chaotic, we are talking about an arrhythmic pulse. The average normal human heart rate is limited to 60 to 90 beats per minute. This pulse rate is observed in the majority of healthy people who are in a state of physical and psycho-emotional calm.

What does the heart rate depend on?

The value of a normal heart rate varies depending on the age and gender of a person. The heart and blood vessels increase in size as they grow older, which is why the cardiovascular system undergoes restructuring. For example, children have smaller hearts than adults, so they need more heartbeats to pump the same volume of blood as adults. Therefore their heart rate is higher. Besides, normal pulse among men it has comparatively lower values than among females.

The dependence of the pulse value (beats per minute) on age is as follows:

From birth to 1 month:

average - 140
minimum value - 110
maximum - 170

From 1 month to 1 year:

average - 132
minimum value is 102
maximum - 162

From 1 to 2 years:

average - 124
minimum value is 94
maximum - 154

From 4 to 6 years:

average - 106
minimum value is 86
maximum - 126

From 6 to 8 years:

average - 98
minimum value is 78
maximum - 118

From 8 to 10 years:

average - 88
minimum value is 68
maximum - 108

From 10 to 12 years:

average - 80
minimum value - 60
maximum - 100

From 12 to 15 years:

average - 75
minimum value - 55
maximum - 95

From 15 to 50 years:

average - 70
minimum value - 60
maximum - 80

From 50 to 60 years:

average - 74
minimum value is 64
maximum - 84

From 60 years and older:

average - 79
minimum value is 69
maximum - 89

What else affects the change in a person’s pulse?

Normal heart rate readings for the same person can vary significantly depending on environment and condition physical activity. Thus, during quiet long walking, the normal heart rate can reach 100 beats per minute, while when running or swimming it can increase to an average of 120 beats. At the same time, an increase in heart rate to 130 beats per minute for healthy person is not an indication for stopping physical activity, while a level of 170 beats per minute is borderline, and cardiologists do not recommend exposing the body to such stress.

Additionally, in addition to determining your heart rate during physical activity, you should record the time it takes for your heart rate to return to normal after you stop exercising. Under normal conditions, the pulse should return to normal in no more than five minutes.

Also, the heart rate may deviate significantly from the norm during the day, for example, under the following circumstances:

when eating, drinking alcohol or taking medications;
when you feel hungry;
with heavy mental work;
after the massage procedure;
in a state of falling asleep;
during menstruation;
when exposed to the sun, frost, or in close proximity to fire.

The normal heart rate of an adult can differ significantly from that of a newborn. For clarity, the article below presents a table by age, but first we will define what a pulse is and how it can be measured.

Pulse - what is it?

The human heart beats rhythmically and pumps blood into the vascular system, as a result of these shocks, the walls of the arteries begin to vibrate.

Such oscillations of the walls of the arteries are usually called pulse.

In addition to arterial ones, in medicine there are also pulse oscillations of the walls of venous and capillary vessels, but the main information about heart contractions is carried by arterial (not venous or capillary) oscillations, therefore, further, when speaking about the pulse, we mean them.

Pulse characteristics

The following pulse characteristics exist:

frequency - the number of oscillations of the artery wall per minute
rhythmicity - the nature of the intervals between shocks. Rhythmic - if the intervals are the same and arrhythmic if the intervals are different
filling - the volume of blood at the peak of the pulse wave. There are thread-like, empty, full, moderate filling
tension - characterizes the force that must be applied to the artery until the pulsation completely stops. There are soft, hard and moderate-tension pulses

How are pulse fluctuations measured?

IN modern medicine Studies of manifestations of heart function can be divided into two large groups:

hardware - using a heart rate monitor, electrocardiograph and other devices
manual - with all the variety of research methods, palpation is the simplest and quick method, which also does not require special long-term preparation before the procedure

How to measure the pulse on your hand yourself

You can measure the pulse fluctuations of the arteries yourself.

Where can I measure?

You can measure in the following places:

on the elbow on the brachial artery
in the neck on the carotid artery
in the groin area on the femoral artery
on the wrist on the radial artery

The most common measurement method is the radial artery at the wrist.

To find the pulse, you can use any fingers except the thumb. The thumb itself has a pulsation, and this can affect the accuracy of the measurement.

Usually the index and middle fingers are used: they are placed under the bend of the wrist in the area of the thumb, moving until pulse fluctuations are detected. You can try to find them on both hands, but keep in mind that the strength of the pulsation may not be the same on the left and right hands.

Features of measurements

During training, your heart rate is usually counted for 15 seconds and multiplied by four. At rest, measure for 30 seconds and multiply by two. If there is a suspicion of arrhythmia, it is better to increase the measurement time to 60 seconds.

When measuring, it should be borne in mind that the frequency of oscillations of the vessel walls may depend not only on physical activity. For example, stress, hormonal release, increased body temperature, even food intake and time of day can affect frequency.

It is better to take daily measurements at the same time. For example, in the first half of the day, an hour after breakfast.

Heart rate norm for women

Due to physiological differences female body, who is subject to significant hormonal fluctuations throughout life that affect the cardiovascular system, the normal heart rate for women differs from the norm for men of the same age. The pulse rate in women at rest is usually 5-10 beats per minute higher.

An increase in heart rate is observed during pregnancy, menstruation, and the onset of menopause. This increase is called physiological tachycardia.

Normal heart rate for athletes

People who exercise regularly have a lower heart rate.

The resting pulse of athletes can be less than forty beats per minute versus sixty to eighty for an untrained person. This heart rate is necessary for the heart to work during extreme loads: if the natural rate does not exceed forty beats per minute, in moments of stress the heart will not have to accelerate more than 150-180 beats.

Over a year or two of active training, an athlete’s heart rate decreases by 5-10 beats per minute. The first noticeable decrease in heart rate can be felt after three months of regular exercise, during which time the rate decreases by 3-4 beats.

Heart Rate for Fat Burning

The human body reacts differently to different intensities of stress. Fat burning occurs at loads of 65-85% of the maximum.

Table of load zones and actions on the human body

There are several ways to calculate the required load for burning fat, which give similar results. The simplest one, taking into account only age:

220 minus your age - we get the maximum heart rate (beats per minute).

For example, if you are 45 years old, your maximum heart rate will be 220-45=175

Determining the boundaries of the heart rate zone that is optimal for burning fat:

175*0.65=114 — lower limit
175*0.85=149 — upper limit

During the contraction of the heart, another portion of blood is pushed into the vascular system. Its impact on the wall of the artery creates vibrations, which, spreading through the vessels, gradually fade to the periphery. They are called the pulse.

What is the pulse like?

There are three types of veins and capillaries in the human body. The release of blood from the heart affects each of them in one way or another, causing their walls to vibrate. Of course, arteries, as the vessels closest to the heart, are more susceptible to the influence of cardiac output. Vibrations of their walls are well determined by palpation, and in large vessels they are even noticeable to the naked eye. That is why the arterial pulse is most significant for diagnosis.

Capillaries are the smallest vessels in the human body, but even they affect the work of the heart. Their walls vibrate in time with heart contractions, but normally this can only be determined with the help of special instruments. A capillary pulse visible to the naked eye is a sign of pathology.

The veins are so far away from the heart that their walls do not vibrate. The so-called venous pulse is transmitted vibrations from nearby large arteries.

Why measure your pulse?

What is the significance of vascular wall vibrations for diagnosis? Why is this so important?

The pulse makes it possible to judge hemodynamics, how effectively it contracts, the fullness of the vascular bed, and the rhythm of heartbeats.

In many pathological processes, the pulse changes, and the pulse characteristic no longer corresponds to the norm. This allows us to suspect that in cardiovascular system not everything is fine.

What parameters determine the pulse? Pulse characteristics

Rhythm. Normally, the heart contracts at regular intervals, which means the pulse should be rhythmic.
Frequency. Normally, there are as many pulse waves as there are heart beats per minute.
Voltage. This indicator depends on the value of systolic blood pressure. The higher it is, the more difficult it is to compress the artery with your fingers, i.e. Pulse tension is high.
Filling. Depends on the volume of blood ejected by the heart during systole.
Magnitude. This concept combines filling and tension.
Shape is another parameter that determines the pulse. The characteristics of the pulse in this case depend on the change in blood pressure in the vessels during systole (contraction) and diastole (relaxation) of the heart.

Rhythm disorders

If there are disturbances in the generation or conduction of impulses through the heart muscle, the rhythm of heart contractions changes, and with it the pulse changes. Individual vibrations of the vascular walls begin to fall out, or appear prematurely, or follow each other at irregular intervals.

What are the types of rhythm disturbances?

Arrhythmias due to changes in the functioning of the sinus node (the area of the myocardium that generates impulses leading to contraction of the heart muscle):

Sinus tachycardia - increased contraction frequency.
Sinus bradycardia - decreased contraction frequency.
Sinus arrhythmia - contractions of the heart at irregular intervals.

Ectopic arrhythmias. Their occurrence becomes possible when a focus appears in the myocardium with activity higher than that of the sinus node. In such a situation, the new pacemaker will suppress the activity of the latter and impose its own rhythm of contractions on the heart.

Extrasystole - the appearance of an extraordinary heart rate. Depending on the location of the ectopic focus of excitation, extrasystoles are atrial, atrioventricular and ventricular.
Paroxysmal tachycardia is a sudden increase in heart rate (up to 180-240 heart beats per minute). Like extrasystoles, it can be atrial, atrioventricular and ventricular.

Impaired conduction of impulses through the myocardium (blockade). Depending on the location of the problem that prevents normal progression from the sinus node, blockades are divided into groups:

(the impulse does not go further than the sinus node).
(the impulse does not pass from the atria to the ventricles). With complete atrioventricular block ( III degree) a situation becomes possible when there are two pacemakers (the sinus node and the focus of excitation in the ventricles of the heart).
Intraventricular block.

Separately, we should dwell on the flickering and fluttering of the atria and ventricles. These conditions are also called absolute arrhythmia. In this case, the sinus node ceases to be a pacemaker, and multiple ectopic foci of excitation are formed in the myocardium of the atria or ventricles, setting the heart rhythm with a huge contraction frequency. Naturally, under such conditions the heart muscle is not able to contract adequately. That's why this pathology(especially from the ventricles) poses a threat to life.

Heart rate

The resting heart rate of an adult is 60-80 beats per minute. Of course, this indicator changes throughout life. Pulse varies significantly by age.

There may be a discrepancy between the number of heart contractions and the number of pulse waves. This occurs if a small volume of blood is released into the vascular bed (heart failure, decreased amount of circulating blood). In this case, vibrations of the vessel walls may not occur.

Thus, a person’s pulse (the norm for age is indicated above) is not always determined in the peripheral arteries. This, however, does not mean that the heart does not contract either. Perhaps the reason is a decrease in ejection fraction.

Voltage

Depending on changes in this indicator, the pulse also changes. The characteristics of the pulse according to its voltage include division into the following types:

Firm pulse. Caused by high blood pressure (BP), primarily systolic. In this case, it is very difficult to squeeze the artery with your fingers. The appearance of this type of pulse indicates the need for urgent correction of blood pressure with antihypertensive drugs.
Soft pulse. The artery contracts easily, and this is not very good, because this type of pulse indicates that the blood pressure is too low. It can be due to various reasons: a decrease in vascular tone, ineffectiveness of heart contractions.

Filling

Depending on changes in this indicator, there are the following types pulse:

means that the blood supply to the arteries is sufficient.
Empty. Such a pulse occurs when the volume of blood ejected by the heart during systole is small. The causes of this condition may be heart pathology (heart failure, arrhythmias with too high heart rate) or a decrease in blood volume in the body (blood loss, dehydration).

Pulse value

This indicator combines the filling and tension of the pulse. It depends primarily on the expansion of the artery during contraction of the heart and its collapse during relaxation of the myocardium. The following types of pulse are distinguished by size:

Big (tall). It occurs in a situation where the ejection fraction increases and the tone of the arterial wall is reduced. At the same time, the pressure in systole and diastole is different (during one cycle of the heart it increases sharply, and then decreases significantly). The reasons leading to the occurrence of a high pulse may be aortic insufficiency, thyrotoxicosis, fever.
Small pulse. Little blood is released into the vascular bed, the tone of the arterial walls is high, and pressure fluctuations in systole and diastole are minimal. Causes of this condition: aortic stenosis, heart failure, blood loss, shock. In especially severe cases, the pulse value may become insignificant (this pulse is called threadlike).
Uniform pulse. This is how the normal heart rate is characterized.

Pulse form

According to this parameter, the pulse is divided into two main categories:

Fast. In this case, during systole, the pressure in the aorta increases significantly, and during diastole it quickly drops. A rapid pulse is a characteristic sign of aortic insufficiency.
Slow. The opposite situation, in which there is no room for significant pressure drops in systole and diastole. Such a pulse usually indicates the presence of aortic stenosis.

How to properly examine the pulse?

Probably everyone knows what needs to be done to determine what a person’s pulse is. However, even such a simple manipulation has features that you need to know.

The pulse is examined in the peripheral (radial) and main (carotid) arteries. It is important to know that with weak cardiac output in the periphery, pulse waves may not be detected.

Let's look at how to palpate the pulse in the hand. The radial artery is accessible for examination at the wrist just below the base of the thumb. When determining the pulse, both arteries (left and right) are palpated, because Situations are possible when pulse fluctuations will be different on both hands. This may be due to compression of the vessel from the outside (for example, a tumor) or blockage of its lumen (thrombus, atherosclerotic plaque). After comparison, the pulse is assessed on the arm where it is better palpated. It is important that when examining pulse fluctuations, there is not one finger on the artery, but several (it is most effective to clasp your wrist so that 4 fingers, except the thumb, are on the radial artery).

How is the pulse in the carotid artery determined? If the pulse waves at the periphery are too weak, you can examine the pulse at main vessels. The easiest way is to try to find it on the carotid artery. To do this, two fingers (index and middle) must be placed on the area where the indicated artery is projected (at the anterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle above the Adam's apple). It is important to remember that it is impossible to examine the pulse on both sides at once. Pressing two carotid arteries may cause circulatory problems in the brain.

The pulse at rest and with normal hemodynamic parameters is easily determined both in peripheral and central vessels.

A few words in conclusion

(the age norm must be taken into account during the study) allows us to draw conclusions about the state of hemodynamics. Certain changes in the parameters of pulse oscillations are often characteristic features certain pathological conditions. That is why pulse examination is of great diagnostic importance.

A person's pulse is an important indicator of the condition of the heart. A normal pulse indicates that the heart is working without disturbances. Every person needs to know how many beats per minute the heart should beat, but most people do not attach importance to such an important indicator and do not pay attention to its deviations.

Experts call the pulse the mirror of the cardiovascular system. If the pulse increases or, conversely, decreases, this indicates the development or consequence of an already developed pathological process in heart. Therefore, if you detect a deviation in your heart rate from the norm, you should consult a doctor.

What is pulse

The pulse is a rhythmic oscillation of the vascular walls corresponding to heart contractions. Pulse is one of the main criteria for assessing the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. This indicator indicates the rhythm of heart contractions, their strength and the filling of the bloodstream.

If the rhythm of the pulse fluctuations is disturbed, the doctor suspects the presence of heart pathology. The following factors can influence this:

excessive consumption of coffee drinks;
psychological overload;
stressful conditions;
hormonal imbalance.

In addition to the rhythm of the pulse, the frequency of its oscillations is important. Oscillation frequency is the number of pulse oscillations per minute. In a person without disorders of the cardiovascular system, in a calm psycho-emotional and physical state, this indicator ranges from 60 to 90 pulse waves per minute.

How to measure your pulse

The most common method is to measure the pulse on the radial artery. It lies on the wrist from the palm side two centimeters below the base of the thumb. Upon palpation, a person will feel a groove-shaped depression. The artery that is closest to the skin passes through this fossa. This arrangement of the vessel allows you to easily feel a person’s pulse.

To measure the pulse on the radial artery, you must perform the following steps:

Relax the hand on which the pulse is measured.
Place three fingers (index, middle and ring) in the hole in which the vessel lies, so that the person clearly feels the pulse wave.
Open the stopwatch and time one minute, counting the number of vibrations of the vessel during this time.
Record the results.

For reliable results, measurements should be taken on both hands at the same time.

If the pulse rhythm is not disturbed, you can measure the pulse for 30 seconds, and then multiply the result by two. If the rhythm of the pulse is disturbed, the measurement is carried out for 60 seconds.

In some cases, indicators are taken from the carotid, brachial, subclavian, femoral and temporal arteries.

What can disrupt your heart rate?

Since the number of pulse fluctuations depends on the heart rate, factors that directly affect the heart should be considered. The main factors on which vascular oscillation depends are:

environment;
person's gender;
person's age;
Lifestyle;
food ration;
heredity;
physical exercise;
mental stress.

Modern research suggests that females have a normal heart rate that is eight beats higher than males. The value can change up or down depending on general condition body, damage to the cardiovascular system or time of day. The pulse rate can be affected by the position of the body relative to a horizontal surface and even the air temperature in the room.

In the evening, the heart rate decreases, and in the morning it reaches its maximum value. In a man normal indicator is 60-70 vibrations per minute.

Surprisingly, the normal rate for a newborn baby is 140 beats per minute. In an adult, this indicator is considered a strong deviation from the norm and is regarded as tachycardia.

Normal heart rate

The table shows normal heart rate indicators for children and adults by age. These indicators are typical only for healthy people who do not have hereditary or acquired pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Based on the data in the table, we can conclude that at birth, children have a high heart rate, which is considered normal. But with age, heart rate decreases, and after fifty years it increases again. Heart rate is the frequency of heart contractions, which corresponds to pulse fluctuations. In addition, doctors claim that just before death, a person’s pulse increases to 160 vibrations.

It should be taken into account that women during menopause experience a functional increase in heart rate. This occurs due to decreased concentration female hormone(estrogen) in the blood, and not due to heart pathology. During this period, changes in the woman's normal blood pressure are observed.

Normal increase in heart rate

A high pulse is not always associated with the development of pathological changes in the body. In a healthy person, the pulse increases in the following cases:

emotional experiences;

stress;

injuries, wounds, pain syndrome;

low oxygen concentration in the room.

When body temperature rises even by one degree, the heart rate increases by more than ten beats per minute. In this condition, the upper limit of normal heart rate is 90 beats per minute. If the indicator exceeds this value, the situation is regarded as tachycardia.

In the case when the increase in the frequency of the pulse wave is functional in nature, the person does not experience shortness of breath, pain in the chest, dizziness, darkening of the eyes or complete loss of vision.

The heart rate should not exceed the maximum value typical for the patient’s age group. With functional tachycardia, the value returns to normal within five minutes after cessation of physical activity. In order to quickly calculate the maximum allowable heart rate value, you should subtract the number of full years of the patient from the number 220.

Pathological increase

Tachycardia caused by pathological changes occurs in the following situations:

purchased and congenital pathologies of cardio-vascular system;
pathological changes in the nervous system;
hypertensive crisis;
hormonal imbalance;
presence of tumors;
cardiac ischemia;
heart attack;
human infectious diseases.

Doctors note cases when tachycardia occurs with heavy discharge during menstrual cycle or pregnancy. This is due to anemic syndrome. Long-term diarrhea, vomiting or other massive loss of fluid in the body can cause pathologically rapid pulse.

Of particular importance are cases when there is an increased heart rate during normal walking and normal blood pressure. If a person discovered this symptom, you should immediately contact a qualified professional for additional diagnostic measures. This condition may indicate the presence of heart failure.

In a child, a pathological increase in heart rate is much more difficult to track due to his lifestyle. Children are often involved in active games or experience intense emotional experiences, which leads to constant tachycardia. If a teenager has vegetative-vascular dystonia, the doctor will note a persistent increase in heart rate.

If you suspect a pathological increase in heart rate, you should consult with your doctor, because if the body’s processes are not corrected in time, sudden loss of consciousness and deterioration may occur. general well-being, shortness of breath or attacks of dizziness.

Decreased heart rate

A decrease in heart rate to 60 beats per minute or below indicates a pathological or functional abnormality. Functional pulse deficit is observed during sleep or in professional athletes.

People who engage in professional sports experience a drop in heart rate to 40 beats per minute. This indicator is not a deviation from the norm, because athletes experience a number of changes in the autonomic regulation of heart contractions.

Experts note pathological bradycardia in the following cases:

inflammatory processes affecting the fibers of the heart;
intoxication of the body;
myocardial infarction;
changes in the cardiovascular system associated with human age;
stomach ulcers;
increased intracranial pressure;
hypothyroidism;
myxedema.

A common reason why a low pulse appears is a violation of the conduction of nerve fibers of the heart. This results in uneven distribution electrical impulse along the fibers of the heart.

A slight decrease in the frequency of the pulse wave is difficult to feel on your own, but with more serious deviations, a person’s blood supply to the brain is disrupted. As a result, dizziness, weakness, sticky cold sweat and loss of consciousness occur.

We must not forget about the decrease in pulse wave frequency due to medication. Some groups medicines can cause bradycardia.

Diagnostics

In order to reliably determine the presence of a change in pulse, specialists use instrumental diagnostics of cardio-vascular system. The main method for identifying such abnormalities is electrocardiography (ECG).

In particularly difficult situations, Voltaire monitoring is prescribed. In this case, heart function is recorded throughout the day. If a person is healthy, then his indicators will correspond to the age or functional norm.

Less commonly used is a treadmill test, in which an electrocardiogram is taken from the patient while running. This method allows you to identify adaptation of the cardiovascular system to stressful situations and track the rate of restoration of normal heart function after exercise.

In an adult, identifying the cause of deviations is much more difficult to find out, because the number of factors affecting heart rate increases several times. With age, the elasticity of the walls of the bloodstream decreases. This occurs under the influence of the following factors:

presence of bad habits;
alcohol consumption;
low mobility;
poor nutrition;
irregular daily routine;
individual age-related changes in the body;
disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system.

In people over 45 years of age, the body does not have time to adapt to constant changes in environmental conditions.

Stress, environment, lifestyle, congenital pathologies and the influence of many other factors lead to disorders in the cardiovascular system. Any disturbance in this system leads to a change in the normal heart rhythm and pulse rate. Therefore, it is very important to know what the pulse of a healthy person should be and monitor it.