A racing heart can be scary. Show
Heart attack? Panic attack? The symptoms can be similar. A fast-beating heart may be concerning or it could just be anxiety, which can come and go. A normal pulse or heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (BPM) taken when you’re not exercising, known as your resting heart rate. Anything that causes increased stimulation, whether physical or emotional, could increase your heart rate. That includes caffeine and other herbal and medicinal stimulants. Heart rhythm versus heart rateBesides the rate of your heartbeat, your heart’s 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 isn’t heart-related. What’s 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 what’s 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. 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, it’s also normal for someone’s heart rate to dip lower than usual during sleep. Even more important than your heart’s 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. Know your heart rateYou can check whether your pulse is normal by taking it yourself, putting your pointer and middle fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist just below the thumb. When you feel a pulse, count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds then multiply the number you get by four to get the number of beats per minute. Another way to find out your heart rate is with a device such as a blood pressure monitor or pulse oximeter, which measures the oxygen level in your blood. Checking your heart rhythmSeveral devices can be used to find your heart’s rhythm:
When should you see a doctor about your heart rate?You may want to start with a visit to your health care provider if your heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute or below 60 beats per minute (and you’re not an athlete), or if you’re also experiencing shortness of breath, fainting spells, lightheadedness or feeling fluttering or palpitations in your chest. It may be nothing to worry about, or it could be something that needs to be treated.
Many conditions can cause a high resting heart rate, which may include being sick, anemia, overactive thyroid, anxiety or panic attacks, too much alcohol/caffeine/nicotine, overuse of some over-the-counter (OTC) decongestants, stress, fear, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low blood pressure (hypotension), illegal drugs, and more. A person’s heart rate is the number of times the heartbeats per minute (BPM). To find your heart rate, check your pulse, which can be felt on your:
Place your finger (not your thumb) over your pulse and count the number of beats in 60 seconds to get your heart rate. According to the American Heart Association, a normal adult resting heart rate is between 60 beats per minute (BPM) and 100 BPM for people 15 years and older. Causes of a high resting heart rate may include:
Serious conditions that can cause a fast heart rate include:
What Are Normal Heart Rates by Age?Normal heart rates by age are as follows:
When Should I Be Concerned About a High Resting Heart Rate?Call 911 or get to a hospital’s emergency department (do not drive yourself) if you have an unusually fast heart rate accompanied by symptoms such as:
What Is the Treatment for a High Resting Heart Rate?When the cause of a high resting heart rate is a temporary condition, such as stress or too much caffeine, your heart rate will go back down on its own once the situation that caused it to be elevated resolves. If a high resting heart rate is due to a heart condition, treatment may include:
SLIDESHOWHeart Disease: Symptoms, Signs, and Causes See SlideshowReviewed on 4/21/2022 References Image Source: iStock Images https://www.heart.org/ https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2172054-overview#a2 https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/heartrate.htm https://healthcare.utah.edu/cardiovascular/conditions/racing-heartbeat.php https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/should-i-worry-about-my-fast-pulse What does it mean when your resting pulse is high?For instance, a consistently high resting heart rate can be a sign that your heart isn't working as efficiently as it could be. In some cases, it can even be a sign of an underlying heart condition," explains Dr. Bindu Chebrolu, cardiologist at Houston Methodist.
When should I worry about a high resting heart rate?You should visit your doctor if your heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute or below 60 beats per minute (and you're not an athlete), or you're also experiencing: shortness of breath. fainting spells. lightheadedness or dizziness.
What is a good resting heart rate by age?Normal Heart Rate by Age Chart. |
What causes a high resting pulse rate
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