What heartbeat is dangerous

Overview

Heart Rate or Pulse is the number of times the heart beats per minute. This happens due to the contractions of the heart per minute. A normal resting heartbeat varies between 60-100 beats per minute. Abnormal Heart Rates or Heart Beats reflect the cardiac conditions of the body. If unnoticed and untreated, this can sometimes be fatal. Conditions when the heartbeat goes beyond 120-140 beats per minute or falls below 60 beats per minute, can be considered dangerous, and immediate doctor's intervention is a must. 

Introduction

The contractions of the heart help the heart to pump deoxygenated blood to your lungs for oxygenation and the oxygenated blood via the aorta to the different organs of the body. Studies have shown that a lower heart resting rate reveals better cardiovascular function. On the other hand, a faster heartbeat indicates incomplete filling of the chambers of the heart and poor cardiac output. Trained athletes have comparatively lower heart rates as they undergo regular cardiac training and exercise and have a healthy body and good cardiac output.  You can measure your heartbeat by simply measuring your pulse on your wrist. You can do this by holding your index finger and thumb between the bone and tendon on your radial artery. You can count the number of beats for 15 seconds and multiply it by 4 to get the beats per minute. Conditions such as Tachycardia, when the heartbeat is too fast, and bradycardia, when the heartbeat is too slow, may happen, but usually, several underlying factors are responsible for such conditions.

Heart Beat varies with age. Children have a faster heartbeat as compared to adults. For a healthy adult, the average resting heartbeat is around 72 beats per minute. However, the following factors affect the resting Heart rate and must be monitored closely.

• Age -Children have a higher heart rate compared to adults. For an adult, the Heart rate varies between 72-78 beats per minute. 
• Body Fitness Level, i.e., sedentary or active lifestyle - It is often found that persons with a long-term sedentary lifestyle may suffer from cardiac diseases and have abnormal heartbeats.
• Smoker/non-smoker-Smokers tend to have higher resting heart rates as compared to normal persons. This can be corrected by quitting all kinds of smoking.
• Diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease- All these underlying pathological conditions might lead to an increase in resting heart rate, conditions dangerous for the heart for a long time if untreated.
• Ambient Temperature- High surround temperatures may slightly increase the resting heart rate. But this condition usually comes down when the surrounding temperature goes down
• Obesity- People with increased body weight may have higher resting heart rate
• Medication- Consumption of medicines such as beta-blockers may decrease the resting heart rate.

Tachycardia is a condition when the resting Heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute for a considerable period of time. This may be accompanied by fatigue, dizziness, and fainting-like symptoms. Tachycardia may be of the following types.

• Multifocal Atrial associated with moderate to severe lung disease.
• This type of Tachycardia occurs when a patient is suffering from a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of the lungs. 

• Pneumonia is when the lungs are severely affected, and oxygenation becomes a problem.
• Congestive heart failure is when the heart fails to pump adequate quantities of blood.
• Pulmonary embolism occurs when the main artery of the lung is blocked
• Lung cancer
• Lung failure
• Ventricular or Venus Tachycardia is associated with diseases like cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease (CAD). The heart rate, in this case, goes up beyond 100 beats per minute, and this can lead to loss of consciousness, dizziness, and collapse.
• Sinus Tachycardia is associated with abnormalities of the SA node. The SA node sends electrical impulses to the heart, causing the heart muscles to contract, followed by relaxation. When the SA node fails to function properly, it sends abnormal rhythms, and the heart beats irregularly, leading to sinus tachycardia. 

Bradycardia 

This is a condition when the Heart rate remains below 60 beats per minute for a prolonged period of time. Long-term Bradycardia, if not treated, may lead to serious conditions. Some underlying reasons for Bradycardia may be prolonged medications using beta-blockers, sleep apnea, heart disease, age, and electrolyte imbalance. 

Conclusion

We must always keep a watch on our Resting Heart Rate as it is a clear indicator of not only our cardiac health but also other underlying diseases. Whenever the Resting Heart Rate crosses the limit and enters the danger zone, we should closely monitor it. If other symptoms accompany it, then immediate medical intervention is needed. Dangerous Heart Beat always depends on certain factors-lifestyle, genetics, and pathological. If there is any family history of cardiac ailments, you must be more careful and get yourself checked at regular intervals. Also, any medications, if consumed for a long period of time, might lead to side effects that might affect the heartbeat pattern. Hence all medications must be reported to the physician from time to time and changed accordingly. 

Generally, for adults, a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute (tachycardia) is considered high.

Your heart rate usually rises when you walk fast, run, or do any strenuous physical activities. 

Is a heart rate of 200 bpm bad?

Maximum heart rate and Target Heart Rate

Before doing any vigorous exercise, you should know your maximum heart rate and target heart rate, both of which vary by age.

Going beyond your maximum heart rate is not healthy for you. Your maximum heart rate depends on your age. 

• Subtracting your age from the number 220 will give you your maximum heart rate. Suppose your age is 35 years, your maximum heart rate is 185 beats per minute. If your heart rate exceeds 185 beats per minute during exercise, it is dangerous for you. So, 200 beats per minute are bad for you in this case.
• Similarly, if your age is 20 years, your maximum heart rate is 200 beats per minute. So, more than 200 beats per minute heart rate during exercise is dangerous for you.
• If you develop palpitations, an irregular heart rate, shortness of breath, or chest pain, you need to seek medical help right away. This could be a sign of an impending heart attack or other life-threatening heart problems.
• Your target heart rate zone is the range of heart rate that you should aim for if you want to become physically fit. It is calculated as 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. 
• Your target heart rate helps you know if you are exercising at the right intensity.
• It is always better to consult your doctor before starting any vigorous exercise. This is especially important if you have diabetes, heart disease or you are a smoker. Your doctor might advise you to lower your target heart rate by 50 percent or more.

If you exercise regularly, or if you are an athlete, you may have a lower heart rate. Research says that a low resting heart rate is healthy for your heart.

Your aim should be to keep doing moderate-to-vigorous exercises regularly. This will help you lower your resting heart rate in the long run.

What is the heart rate?

Heart rate or pulse rate is the number of times your heart beats in a minute. It is a simple measure to know how much your heart works during rest or activities. 

Heart rate is one of the vital signs that are checked regularly whenever you visit your doctor, or when you get admitted to the hospital.

Your heart rate is lower when you are resting and higher when you are doing any kind of activity, or are feeling stressed or anxious. 

When you exercise, your heart needs to work harder, which increases your heart rate. As soon as you rest, the heart rate starts decreasing gradually and returns to its normal level, usually within an hour.

How to check your heart rate?

You can check your heart rate by counting your pulse. A pulse can be felt at various sites on the body like over the sides of the neck, the wrist, and the top of the foot. To check your pulse on the wrist with the help of your middle finger and index finger, you need to:

• Keep your middle finger and your index finger over the inner part of the wrist (thumb side) and keep pressing gently until you can feel your pulse. The pulse is felt in your radial artery.
• After you have located your pulse, look at the watch, and start counting the beats for 30 seconds. Doubling this count will give you your heart rate. You can even count the beats for 10 seconds and multiply the number by six to get your heart rate.

If you find the rhythm of your heartbeat slightly irregular, you will have to count the beats completely until 60 seconds. You will have to visit your doctor if you keep getting a fast and irregular heart rate consistently.

What is an average resting heart rate by age?

When you are resting - whether sitting or lying down - you can check your resting heart rate. Provided that you have not smoked, consumed coffee, or exercised vigorously an hour before. Activities such as smoking, having coffee, loud noises, and vigorous physical activity make your heart beat faster for a while, and so you might not get your exact resting heart rate. And hence this may interfere with the correct heart rate.

Average resting heart rate by age chart

How to achieve a healthier lower heart rate

A heart rate lower than 80 beats per minute is associated with a lowered risk of dying from a heart attack according to the American Heart Association.

Staying physically active by doing moderate to vigorous exercise regularly is one of the best ways to achieve a lower heart rate that leads to a healthy and long life.

Changes in your lifestyle that may lower your heart rate include:

• Reducing the intake of coffee and caffeine-containing products
• Avoiding binge drinking
• Avoiding smoking
• Intake of a healthy diet to keep weight under check
• Doing deep breathing to manage stress and anxiety

Medically Reviewed on 3/2/2022

References

REFERENCES: Normal Vital Signs. Available at: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2172054-overview#a2. Your Heart Rate. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/watching-rate- monitor?tex=vb3&prop16=vb3. Heart Rate and Exercise: How Much Do You Know? Available at: https://www.webmd.com/fitness- exercise/rm-quiz-heart-rate-and-exercise What to Do If Your Heart Races, Slows Down, or Skips a Beat. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/what-to-do-heart-races Pulse & Heart Rate. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/17402-pulse-- heart- rate#:~:text=Normal%20heart%20rates%20at%20rest,60%20%E2%80%93%20100%20beats%20per %20minute

Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress- management/stress-relief-breathing-techniques#1