Heart Rate

Key pointers

• Each ventricular contraction sends a wave of blood through the arteries, which is detectable as a pulse.
• A healthy adult’s pulse rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.
• Furthermore, the body will adjust its heart rate to compensate for any variations in stroke volume.
• The sympathetic nervous system raises the heart rate, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system lowers it (vagus nerve).
• The hormones adrenaline and epinephrine can also increase the heart rate.

What is heart rate?

The cardiovascular system pumps blood throughout the body to deliver oxygen and other nutrients while also removing waste. When the heart beats, blood is pushed out of the heart and into the body, supplying oxygen to functioning muscles or re-oxygenating the lungs. The number of times the heart beats per minute is connected to the effort exerted on the heart. Resting heart rate is recorded while the body is in a resting condition.

A healthy heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (BPM). If the heart rate is more than 100 BPM, it shows the heart is performing more than normal to pump blood and may signal a significant condition that a doctor should check. A heart rate of less than 60 BPM is more common in endurance athletes, whose bodies are more effective at using oxygen from the bloodstream.

Measuring heart rate

The most common method of determining heart rate is to locate the pulse in the body. The examiner’s index and middle finger pads are used to feel the pulse.

Each time the heart beats, blood is pumped into the blood vessels. The expansion of blood arteries when blood flows into them is felt as a pulse.

This pulse rate can be felt at areas on the body where the artery pulsation is communicated to the skin surface, particularly when it is pushed against an underlying structure like bone.

Some of the pulse zones are as follows:

• The temporal artery that runs along the sides of the forehead
• The facial artery at the angle of the jaws
• The carotid artery that is located in the neck
• The brachial artery
• The wrist radial artery
• The groin femoral artery
• The popliteal artery behind the knees, 
• The posterior tibial artery
• The dorsalis pedis artery that runs over the foot

What controls heart rate?

The autonomic (involuntary) nervous system is divided into two branches that influence heart rate. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) are two types of nervous systems that work together. SNS produces substances known as catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) to speed up the heart rate.

To reduce the heart rate, PNS produces the hormone acetylcholine. Stress, caffeine, shock, an unhealthy diet, and sometimes even excitement can increase your heart rate. Thus, it is essential to stay calm, meditate, and take deep breaths to stabilise the heart rate.

Exercising for any length of time raises your heart rate, which will remain raised for as long as you continue to exercise. The parasympathetic stimulus is turned off at the start of exercise, allowing the heart rate to rise gradually. The sympathetic system “kicks in” when you exercise more vigorously, causing your heart rate to increase even faster.

Regular aerobic activity can lower your resting heart rate over time by increasing the contractile strength and length of time the heart fills with blood. An increase in PNS activity and perhaps a decrease in SNS activity result in a lower heart rate.

Monitoring heart rate

By putting the tips of their index, second, and third fingers on the palm side of their wrist, people may easily check their heart rate. Their index and second fingers can also be placed on both sides of the oesophagus.

Aside from that, measuring heart rate using an electrocardiogram (ECG) gadget is a good idea. It is very dependable equipment that delivers a wealth of information about the heart.

In addition, today’s wearable gadgets can accurately detect heart rate. Every pulse causes the volume of the tiny arteries in the wrist to expand temporarily. The quantity of light reflected to the conductor in a system changes as a result. The heart rate is the factor that determines how frequently this fluctuation occurs.

Individuals can manually calculate these rates or use various tools to assist them. For feeling the pulse rate, people can use their fingers to contact the palm side of the wrist or both sides of the windpipe. On the other hand, wearable gadgets and ECG equipment also provide pulse and heart rate information.

Conclusion

The cardiovascular system pumps blood throughout the body to deliver oxygen and other nutrients while also removing waste. When the heart beats, blood is pushed out of the heart and into the body, supplying oxygen to functioning muscles or re-oxygenating the lungs. The number of times the heart beats per minute is connected to the effort exerted on the heart.An electrocardiograph, often known as an ECG or a heart rate monitor, can be used to assess pulse rate or heart rate. Heart rate monitors provide precise heart rate readings during activity and rest.