Take Your Pulse: What To Do?

Taking a pulse can help diagnose cardiovascular disease early. In addition, it is a simple gesture that can be performed on several places of the body. So how do you take your pulse?

Taking your pulse is a very useful gesture that allows us  to know the rhythm of our heart and gives us an indication of the regularity of its frequency. This is a very simple measurement that gives us basic information about our cardiovascular functioning.

Pulse refers to a series of pulses that can be felt in different places on the body. They are due to the movement of contraction and dilation of the heart as well as the arteries.

It stands for heart rate and is normally expressed in beats per minute. For example,  if when taking a person’s pulse for 60 seconds we count 70 beats,  it means that the heart beats 70 times in one minute.

Although this is an essential step in quickly diagnosing a possible heart problem, many people do not know what it is for or how to do it. This article will therefore aim to explain it to you.

What is the point of taking a pulse?

Taking your pulse is useful in various cases. Indeed, the pulse informs us of the number of beats per minute that our heart makes. A normal pulse is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

First of all, taking our pulse can help us detect tachycardia or bradycardia. Tachycardia occurs when the heart beats more than 100 beats per minute. Bradycardia, on the other hand, occurs when the heart beats less than 60 beats per minute.

Both tachycardia and bradycardia can be indicators of an abnormality in our cardiovascular system. Exceeding any of these limits can put our heart at risk.  

However, in most cases these are completely normal situations. Indeed, the heart adapts its beats to be able to maintain the supply of blood to all the organs and tissues of the body.

For example, when you play sports, it is quite normal for your heart to speed up and when you take your pulse, you notice tachycardia. The body can also experience tachycardia in  situations of fear, stress, or danger.

Likewise, people who exercise every day  often have lower heart rates than the general population. Some athletes can even have beats at 40 beats per minute, without this being the sign of any pathology.

So, what is it for ?

This makes us think that, first of all, taking a pulse  can help us diagnose any pathology early on. In some serious situations, such as an aortic dissection, something as simple as taking the pulse can help us detect it in time and save the patient.

How do you learn to take your pulse?

The best way to take your pulse under normal conditions  is if you are calm and at rest,  without exercising before. This will allow you to get your heart rate at rest.

This gesture can be performed in different places of the body. However, it is most often taken on the neck or wrist. In fact, to learn to take your pulse, it is recommended to do it on your neck. Indeed, this is the place where it is best perceived.

First of all, you need a stopwatch. You can use your watch or your cell phone to do this. Then do the following:

• Place your index and middle fingers under the chin, in the neck. You should apply light pressure to this area until you feel the beating. The pressure should also not be too strong so as not to confuse the result.
• Once you find it,  start your stopwatch and start counting the beats. You can do this for a minute or for 30 seconds. If you choose the second option, you must multiply the number of beats obtained by two

As we mentioned, if the result is between 60 and 100 beats per minute at rest, it is a result within the normal range. However, if the beats exceed this range or if you notice any irregularity in the rhythm,  you should see your doctor as soon as possible.

In conclusion

Taking your pulse is a very simple gesture that is very useful on a daily basis. You can perform this gesture on the wrist, in the neck, etc.

If you have difficulty doing this, you can buy a heart rate monitor. Remember to see your doctor if you notice any abnormalities or if your beats are above your resting average.