Pulse and heartbeat

Many people do not know the relationship between pulse and heartbeat. In fact, under normal circumstances, pulse and heartbeat are synchronized. The pulse beats once for each heart beat. If there is any problem with the heart, the pulse and heartbeat may be out of sync, such as arrhythmia. So this indicates that it is relatively healthier when the pulse and heartbeat are consistent. If they are inconsistent, there must be a problem with the heart, and timely medical diagnosis and treatment is needed.

The number of heartbeats will vary according to individual differences. It is normal for children's heartbeats to be relatively faster. If you want to test your heartbeat, do not do it during intense exercise or when your emotions are very fluctuating. The heartbeat rate at this time will be inaccurate. It is best to rest quietly for about ten minutes to calm yourself. Only then can you measure the most accurate heartbeat rate. The following is an introduction to pulse and heartbeat related content.

The pulse is the regular pulsation that people feel by touching an artery on the surface of the body. The driving force behind the pulsation of arteries is the heart. The heart is like a bicycle pump. When it contracts, it presses blood into the arteries, producing pulsation. When it relaxes, it accepts blood pumped out of the arteries and returns to the heart through the vascular network throughout the body. In this cyclical cycle, the heart contracts and relaxes rhythmically, forming a pulse.

The strength and speed of a normal person's pulse are mainly related to the heart's pumping force, blood vessel elasticity, body circulation blood volume and heart rate. A normal person's heart rate slows down when resting, and at night it can slow to about 40-50 beats per minute. When you have a fever, exercise, are mentally stressed or excited, the heart's contraction force increases, the heart rate speeds up, and the pulse naturally strengthens. An abnormally increased heart rate may occur under some pathological conditions, such as massive bleeding, hyperthyroidism, supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia caused by various reasons, atrial fibrillation, etc. Sometimes the heart rate can even reach more than 200 beats per minute, and the pulse will also accelerate.

Normally, the rhythm of the heartbeat and the pulse are consistent. However, for some patients with arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation and premature beats, the pulse and heart rate may be inconsistent when a certain heartbeat occurs too early, the output is small, and the blood vessels are insufficiently filled. In some patients with severe myocardial disease, the pulse may alternate between strong and weak beats, and sometimes two heartbeats may be heard but only one pulse can be felt. When the heartbeat is very fast, the pulse may become very weak or even difficult to feel, such as in tachycardia and shock.

Doctors often feel the pulse of the radial artery at the wrist, and also often feel the carotid artery, brachial artery (in the cubital fossa), femoral artery (in the groin), popliteal artery (in the popliteal fossa) and dorsalis pedis artery. Depending on diagnostic needs, it is sometimes necessary to compare the pulses on both sides. If the patient is suspected of having aortic coarctation or Takayasu arteritis, it is necessary to compare the pulse strength of the left and right wrists, and compare the wrist pulse and dorsalis pedis pulse strength. In addition, if you encounter a patient who suddenly faints or dies suddenly in a public place, the carotid artery is also one of the parts to judge the heartbeat.

A lot of information about the body can be reflected in the pulse, especially the early stages of some diseases. Generally speaking, the speed and strength of the pulse mainly reflect the heart's ability to contract and relax. Therefore, the heart's pumping function and the body's hemodynamic state can be judged by the strength of the pulse. For example, for patients who lose blood due to trauma, the degree of increased pulse rate can reflect the amount of blood lost. When you have a fever, your pulse will also increase accordingly. Generally, for every 1 degree Celsius increase in body temperature, the pulse will increase by 10 beats per minute. In some diseases, such as after people recover from a cold or fever, if their pulse continues to increase or become irregular when they are in a calm state, it indicates the possibility of myocarditis. Patients with hypertension generally have a stronger pulse. The dorsalis pedis artery is often used to determine the patency of the lower limb arteries. In patients with lower limb artery occlusion (common in diabetic patients), the dorsalis pedis artery pulsation will be weakened. If a patient is found to be unconscious, palpating the carotid pulse can help determine whether the coma is caused by cardiac arrest or a rapid heart rate.

We all know about pulse and heartbeat. If you find any abnormality when you feel your pulse, including being too fast or too slow, or your heartbeat is unstable, you need to seek medical attention immediately. The heart is an important organ of the human body and requires our high attention.