Types of Heart Pulse: What They Are & How to Measure Them

What is Pulse?

Your pulse is the rhythmic expansion and contraction of your arteries as blood is pumped through them by your beating heart. The pulse rate usually reflects your heart rate, or the number of times your heart’s ventricles contract per minute (beats per minute, BPM). In certain abnormal rhythms, such as some arrhythmias, pulse rate and heart rate can differ. You can feel your pulse by touching certain pulse points on your body where the arteries are close to the skin surface, such as your wrist or neck. The characteristics of your pulse, including its rate, rhythm and strength, provide important clues about your heart's functioning and overall health.

Types of Pulses & Their Functions

There are several types of pulses in the body, each with a specific location. Here are a few names of pulses along with their functions:

• Radial Pulse: Felt on the thumb-side of your wrist, it's the most common site for measuring heart rate.
• Carotid Pulse: Found on either side of your windpipe in the neck, it's often checked in emergencies to rapidly assess circulation and heart function.
• Brachial Pulse: Located above the elbow crease on the inside of your arm, doctors may use it to check blood pressure.
• Femoral Pulse: Felt in the groin area, this pulse helps evaluate blood flow to the lower body and is critical in diagnosing circulation problems in the legs.
• Posterior Tibial Pulse: Palpated just behind and slightly below the medial malleolus (inner ankle bone), it assesses blood flow to the foot.
• Dorsalis Pedis Pulse: Found on the top of the foot, this pulse also checks circulation in the lower limb.
• Apical Pulse: Only measurable with a stethoscope over the heart, it allows for a more thorough heart assessment, especially in children and people with abnormal heart rhythms.

Pulse Rates By Age & Gender

A normal resting pulse rate for a healthy adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. However, a normal pulse varies significantly with age and gender. Here is a table that provides the resting heart rate (RHR) charts by age and gender.

Resting heart rate (RHR) values for men (beats per minute)

Resting heart rate (RHR) values for women (beats per minute)

Resting heart rate (RHR) values for children

How Does Your Pulse Reflect Your Health?

Your pulse provides a window into your heart health. An unusually high or low resting pulse can be a sign of an underlying problem. For example:

• Tachycardia: A pulse consistently over 100 BPM may point to fever, dehydration, anxiety, anemia, infection, or in more serious cases, an overactive thyroid or arrhythmia.
• Bradycardia: Resting rates under 60 BPM are common in trained athletes and during sleep, but could also result from hypothyroidism, certain medications (like beta-blockers), or conduction system disease.

An irregular pulse rhythm or widely varying pulse rates may indicate heart palpitations or atrial fibrillation. Weak, thready pulses could signify low blood pressure or poor circulation. Always bring any pulse abnormalities to your doctor's attention.

Do You Need to Worry If the Pulse Rate Is Slow?

While a pulse rate below 60 BPM is considered bradycardia, it's not always a cause for concern. If you're physically fit and have no symptoms like fatigue, lightheadedness, or fainting, a slow pulse may simply be a sign of an efficient, healthy heart. However, if your resting pulse is under 50 BPM and you're experiencing symptoms, your heart may not be pumping enough oxygen-rich blood to your body. This can stem from an abnormal heart rhythm, damage to the heart from disease or ageing, imbalanced electrolytes, an underactive thyroid, or as a side effect of certain medications. Always report symptoms accompanying a slow pulse to your doctor.

How to Check the Pulse Rate?

Checking your own pulse is easy with these steps:

1. Place your index and middle finger on your wrist, palm-side up, just below the thumb. Or place them on the side of your neck, just under your jawbone. Use light pressure until you feel a steady beat.
2. Watch a clock or set a timer for 30 seconds. Count the beats you feel for those 30 seconds.
3. Double the number of beats to get your pulse rate in BPM. If your pulse is very slow or fast, count for a full 60 seconds instead before recording the rate.
4. Note if the rhythm seems regular or irregular and if the pulse feels strong, weak, or thready.
5. Repeat on the other wrist or side of the neck to check that it matches.
6. Record your pulse rate, rhythm, and strength in a log to track over time. Report any consistent abnormalities to your doctor.

Factors Affecting Pulse Rate

Many things can influence your heart rate, including:

• Age: Pulse rates decrease from infancy to adulthood.
• Fitness: Cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart, lowering the resting pulse.
• Body position: Pulse rates rise momentarily when you sit or stand up.
• Emotions: Stress, anxiety, and excitement can elevate your heart rate.
• Body size: People with obesity may have higher resting pulse rates.
• Medications: Medicines that block adrenaline can slow the pulse, while thyroid medicine may raise it.
• Caffeine and nicotine: Stimulants like these can cause a temporary pulse increase.
• Fever: The pulse usually rises with body temperature.
• Hormones: Thyroid disorders and menopause can affect pulse rate.

Does the Heart Rate Speed Up During Exercise?

Absolutely! When you exercise, your muscles demand more oxygen to fuel their work. Your heart responds by beating faster and harder to deliver that oxygen. The more intense the activity, the more your pulse will speed up. An exercise pulse between 50-85% of your maximum heart rate is considered ideal for cardiovascular conditioning. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. So a healthy exercise pulse for a 30-year-old would be 95 to 162 BPM. A gradual return of your pulse to its resting rate after exercise is a sign of good recovery and fitness. Always stop exercising and see your doctor if an elevated pulse is accompanied by dizziness, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

At Metropolis Healthcare, we understand the importance of proactive heart health monitoring. Our expert phlebotomists offer convenient at-home blood sample collection for cardiac risk markers. With our user-friendly app and online portal, you can access your reports anytime, anywhere. Take charge of your heart health today - book a health check-up with Metropolis and get the vital insights you need for a healthier tomorrow.

FAQs

What is a bad resting heart rate?

Resting pulse rates consistently above 100 BPM (tachycardia) or below 60 BPM (bradycardia) may signal an underlying problem, especially if accompanied by other symptoms like shortness of breath, fainting, fatigue, or chest pain. Consult your doctor if you note any persistent abnormalities in your resting pulse.

What is a good resting heart rate?

For most adults, a healthy resting heart rate falls between 60 and 100 BPM. Physically active people often have resting rates between 40-60 BPM. Children tend to have higher pulses. See your doctor if your resting pulse falls outside the normal range for your age.

Can anxiety or stress affect a resting heart rate?

Yes, absolutely. Stress and anxiety trigger your body's "fight or flight" response, releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that speed up your heart rate. Relaxation techniques, deep breathing, regular exercise, and meditation can help reduce stress and its impact on your resting pulse.

How does age impact what is considered a healthy resting heart rate?

Babies and children have faster resting pulses because their smaller hearts must beat more often to supply their bodies with oxygenated blood. As children grow, their resting pulse naturally decreases. Older adults may see a slight uptick in their normal resting pulse due to age-related changes in the heart's electrical conduction system.

What is the normal pulse rate?

The normal heart rate for adults is 60-100 BPM. Children over 10 also fall in this range. Babies and younger children have higher normal pulse rates. Athletes may have healthy resting pulses between 40-60 BPM.

When is the pulse rate fast?

A pulse rate over 100 BPM is considered tachycardia in adults. While a fast pulse during exercise or stress is normal, a resting pulse that is consistently high may indicate a health issue and should be checked by a doctor.

What are the 9 pulse sites?

The nine pulse sites you can palpate include the radial (wrist), carotid (neck), brachial (inside of elbow), femoral (groin), popliteal (behind the knee), posterior tibial (ankle), dorsalis pedis (top of foot), temporal (temple), and apical (heart) pulses.

What are the 4 grades of pulse?

Pulse strength is graded on a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 is no palpable pulse, 1+ is a weak pulse, 2+ is normal pulse intensity, 3+ is a strong pulse and 4+ is a bounding pulse.

What are the 5 parameters of pulse?

When assessing a pulse, doctors check these 5 parameters: rate (beats per minute), rhythm (regular/irregular), strength (weak/normal/strong), symmetry (equal on both sides), and character (bounding, thready, etc.).