Your Pulse, Pulse rate or heart rate refer to how many times your heart beats per minutes or
a specific unit of time--how many contraction occur in the heart's ventricles (the lower
chambers of the heart).
What is the difference between your pulse and your rate?
Heart rate refers to the heart, how many times it contracts in a given time.
Pulse (pulse rate) refers to the artery you are checking with your finger(s), how many
times it bulges when there is a gush surge..
The figure for heart rate and pulse rate is the nearly always same (expect in certain
medical conditions), because a bulge in the artery is caused by the heart contracting and
pushing blood out..
A person's heart rate varies depending on what they are doing it is slower when they are sleeping
and faster when exercising.
Finding your Pulse
Your pulse can be found where an artery passes close to the skin, such as your neck or
wrist .
How to find your pulse in your wrist
A person checking their pulse
Hold one of your hands out with the palm facing upwards and the elbow slightly bent
Place your index (first) and middle fingers of your other hand on the inside of your
wrist, just below the base of your thumb
Press the two fingers lightly on your skin until you feel your pulse.
If you feel nothing, either press harder or search with your fingers for the artery and
press again
Do not press thumb on your wrist because it has its own pulse, an artery goes
through it
Count how many beats there are over a 20-second period and them multiply the total by 3,
which will given you your heart rate (per minute). Some people prefer to continue for thirty
seconds and then multiply by 2 or to count for a whole minute for better accuracy
Your resting rate this is your heartbeat (per minute) after you have been resting
(sitting or lying still) for ten minutes.
Finding your pulse on your neck (carotid artery)
You can also find your pulse by pressing the same two fingers on the side of your neck
(carotid artery), besides your adam's apple in the hollow area. If you are over 65 be
careful you do not press too hard; there is a risk of becoming lightheaded.
Other ways of checking your pulse
The popliteal artery - behind the knee
The abdominal aorta - over the abdomen
The apex of the heart - can be felt if you place your hand/finger on your chest
The basilar artery - close to the ear
The brachial pedis - the middle of dorsum of the foot (the back, or surface, of the foot)
The femoral artery - in the groin
The posterior tibial artery - the ankle joint
The superficial temporal artery - the temple
Using a heart rate monitor
There are several personal monitoring devices, know as heart rate monitors or pulsometers,
that allow you to measure your heart rate in real time. Some of them even record your heart
rate for later study
Heart rate monitors, for personal use, are popular among athlete's and people who exercise
regularly. A growing number of people buy them to check their resting heart rates at home,
instead of pressing their fingers on an artery to check their pulse rate
There are two popular types of heart rate monitors:
Strapless heart rate monitor -
The device goes around your wrist, part of the back of your hand, and
your index finger.
Finding and measuring another person's pulse
Make sure the person is resting Seated with their back supported and feet on the floor,
or lying down.
Stand facing the person and ask them to extend their arm toward you or take their hand,
Pull gently and stretch the arm toward you, with their palm facing upward. Then follow the same
procedure explained above for when you take your own pulse.
If the person is injured or unconscious, you need to learn about first aid, read this
article "What is first AID? What is the Recovery position?"
What is a normal resting pulse rate (heart rate)?
For a healthy human being, aged at least 18 years, anything between 60 and 100 beats per minutes
is usually considered as a normal resting heart rate.
Fit people tend to have a slower heart rate than unfit individuals. Some Olympic athletes
have been know to have a resting heart rate of 40 bmp (beat per minutes). In fact, a resting heart
rate of 29 bmp was once recorded with Miguel Indurain, a champion cyclist.
The following are ideal normal heart rates in bmp:
According to the National Institutes of Health, USA
Newborns (0 - 3 months) - 120 to 160
Infants (3 - 6 months) - 90 to 120
Infants (6 - 12 months)- 80 - 120
Children (1 to 10 years)- 70 to 130
People over 10 years- 60 to 100
Well trained adults athletes - 40 to 60
According to the National health Service, UK
Newborn ( 0 to 1 months) - 120 to 160
Infants (1 to 12 months) - 80 to 140
Babies/toddlers (1 to 2 years) - 80 to 130
Toddlers/young children (2 to 6 years) - 75 to 120
Children (7 to 12 years) - 75 to 110
Adults aged (18+ years) - 60 to 110
Adults athletes - 40 to 60
UK data may vary depending on which health authority you access
Why should your pulse be checked?
People may check their pulse for many reason:
Curiosity - You may simply want to know what your heart rate is, Perhaps during/after a
conservation your friends talked about their heart rate.
During a medical visit - When doctors carry out a physical exam, they often check the
patient's heart rate.
To check your heart - in my emergency situation, a person's heart rate can help
determine whether the heart is pumping blood properly
After an injury - to check for blood flow
To check a medication's effect - if a patient is talking medication to slow the heart
such as beta-blockers, the doctors may ask them to check their pulse every day
To check your fitness - you may to wish to check your pulse rate during moments of
physical exercise. For this you should wear a heart rate monitor. Some exercise machines
have heart rate monitors you hold on to with your hands. Serious athletes also check how
long it takes for their heart rate to return to normal after physical exertion.
If your pulse feels irregular
Some people may find that their pulse is irregular -during the 20, 30 or 60 seconds when
they feel their pulse the beats do not follow a steady beat. If your pulse feels irregular
you should contact your doctor because you might have atrial fibrillating (AF), the leading
cause of stroke in North America and Western Europe...
a specific unit of time--how many contraction occur in the heart's ventricles (the lower
chambers of the heart).
What is the difference between your pulse and your rate?
Heart rate refers to the heart, how many times it contracts in a given time.
Pulse (pulse rate) refers to the artery you are checking with your finger(s), how many
times it bulges when there is a gush surge..
The figure for heart rate and pulse rate is the nearly always same (expect in certain
medical conditions), because a bulge in the artery is caused by the heart contracting and
pushing blood out..
A person's heart rate varies depending on what they are doing it is slower when they are sleeping
and faster when exercising.
Finding your Pulse
Your pulse can be found where an artery passes close to the skin, such as your neck or
wrist .
How to find your pulse in your wrist
A person checking their pulse
Hold one of your hands out with the palm facing upwards and the elbow slightly bent
Place your index (first) and middle fingers of your other hand on the inside of your
wrist, just below the base of your thumb
Press the two fingers lightly on your skin until you feel your pulse.
If you feel nothing, either press harder or search with your fingers for the artery and
press again
Do not press thumb on your wrist because it has its own pulse, an artery goes
through it
Count how many beats there are over a 20-second period and them multiply the total by 3,
which will given you your heart rate (per minute). Some people prefer to continue for thirty
seconds and then multiply by 2 or to count for a whole minute for better accuracy
Your resting rate this is your heartbeat (per minute) after you have been resting
(sitting or lying still) for ten minutes.
Finding your pulse on your neck (carotid artery)
You can also find your pulse by pressing the same two fingers on the side of your neck
(carotid artery), besides your adam's apple in the hollow area. If you are over 65 be
careful you do not press too hard; there is a risk of becoming lightheaded.
Other ways of checking your pulse
The popliteal artery - behind the knee
The abdominal aorta - over the abdomen
The apex of the heart - can be felt if you place your hand/finger on your chest
The basilar artery - close to the ear
The brachial pedis - the middle of dorsum of the foot (the back, or surface, of the foot)
The femoral artery - in the groin
The posterior tibial artery - the ankle joint
The superficial temporal artery - the temple
Using a heart rate monitor
There are several personal monitoring devices, know as heart rate monitors or pulsometers,
that allow you to measure your heart rate in real time. Some of them even record your heart
rate for later study
Heart rate monitors, for personal use, are popular among athlete's and people who exercise
regularly. A growing number of people buy them to check their resting heart rates at home,
instead of pressing their fingers on an artery to check their pulse rate
There are two popular types of heart rate monitors:
A chest strap and watch - consists of two parts.You place the watch around you wrist
and a strap around your chestStrapless heart rate monitor -
The device goes around your wrist, part of the back of your hand, and
your index finger.
Make sure the person is resting Seated with their back supported and feet on the floor,
or lying down.
Stand facing the person and ask them to extend their arm toward you or take their hand,
Pull gently and stretch the arm toward you, with their palm facing upward. Then follow the same
procedure explained above for when you take your own pulse.
If the person is injured or unconscious, you need to learn about first aid, read this
article "What is first AID? What is the Recovery position?"
What is a normal resting pulse rate (heart rate)?
For a healthy human being, aged at least 18 years, anything between 60 and 100 beats per minutes
is usually considered as a normal resting heart rate.
Fit people tend to have a slower heart rate than unfit individuals. Some Olympic athletes
have been know to have a resting heart rate of 40 bmp (beat per minutes). In fact, a resting heart
rate of 29 bmp was once recorded with Miguel Indurain, a champion cyclist.
The following are ideal normal heart rates in bmp:
According to the National Institutes of Health, USA
Newborns (0 - 3 months) - 120 to 160
Infants (3 - 6 months) - 90 to 120
Infants (6 - 12 months)- 80 - 120
Children (1 to 10 years)- 70 to 130
People over 10 years- 60 to 100
Well trained adults athletes - 40 to 60
According to the National health Service, UK
Newborn ( 0 to 1 months) - 120 to 160
Infants (1 to 12 months) - 80 to 140
Babies/toddlers (1 to 2 years) - 80 to 130
Toddlers/young children (2 to 6 years) - 75 to 120
Children (7 to 12 years) - 75 to 110
Adults aged (18+ years) - 60 to 110
Adults athletes - 40 to 60
UK data may vary depending on which health authority you access
Why should your pulse be checked?
People may check their pulse for many reason:
Curiosity - You may simply want to know what your heart rate is, Perhaps during/after a
conservation your friends talked about their heart rate.
During a medical visit - When doctors carry out a physical exam, they often check the
patient's heart rate.
To check your heart - in my emergency situation, a person's heart rate can help
determine whether the heart is pumping blood properly
After an injury - to check for blood flow
To check a medication's effect - if a patient is talking medication to slow the heart
such as beta-blockers, the doctors may ask them to check their pulse every day
To check your fitness - you may to wish to check your pulse rate during moments of
physical exercise. For this you should wear a heart rate monitor. Some exercise machines
have heart rate monitors you hold on to with your hands. Serious athletes also check how
long it takes for their heart rate to return to normal after physical exertion.
If your pulse feels irregular
Some people may find that their pulse is irregular -during the 20, 30 or 60 seconds when
they feel their pulse the beats do not follow a steady beat. If your pulse feels irregular
you should contact your doctor because you might have atrial fibrillating (AF), the leading
cause of stroke in North America and Western Europe...
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