The Normal Pulse
We have all had our pulse taken by our doctor during a visit. This is always the first thing done by your doctor when you go to him with a problem. Your pulse is just one tool that your doctor can use for a diagnosis. Taking your pulse rate is not difficult and you can actually take your own pulse at home. The normal pulse rate for you will be the rate you get while at rest. Everyone will have a rate that is unique to them as we are all different and in different levels of health and fitness.
In the medical filed, the pulse is each beat of your heart and it corresponds to the rhythmic contraction and expansion of your arteries. It is this heart rate that can give a quick evaluation of the health of your heart. It is possible to check your pulse on many parts of your body but easier when you use a location where the artery can be pressed against a bone. Your wrist is a good place which uses the Radial artery. On each side of your neck you can use the Carotid artery and the Brachial artery can be found on the inside of the elbow. At your ankle bone you are able to use your Posterior tibial artery to find your pulse and behind your knee is the Popliteal artery. Beats per minute is the rate at which your pulse is measured.
In the range of 60 to 80 beats per minute is the normal pulse rate. If you are physically fit then your rate can be low on that scale and while you are sleeping it can drop down to about 40 beats per minute. You might want to know what causes a high pulse rate. Your heart rate can go as high as 200 beats per minute as exercise when your heart works faster to circulate oxygenated blood to your muscles. For adults, the normal rate is around sixty-eight to seventy-five and in children this rate will vary with age. An infant will range from 100 to 160 and the heart rate of a toddler is usually between 70 to 120 per minute. A resting pulse rate of over 95 beats per minute is seen as abnormal and tells your doctor that there is something wrong in your body. Anxiety and fever can both be a cause of this high resting heart rate so don’t be alarmed if you find that yours is high.
