Elevated Pulse

I am 27 years old and have good health (last physical was one year ago). I am overweight by about 50 pounds, and exercise sporadically. My eating habits are much better than they have been in the past (I now eat more veggies, poultry, and very few fried foods) and I'm working on getting more regular in my exercise. I drink 8-10 glasses of water per day. Recently I have noticed that my resting pulse has been elevated (80-90 beats per minute), and I have never had this problem before. When I exercise (like riding a bike or walking briskly) my pulse runs around 140-160 bpm. Normally my resting pulse runs around 70-75 bpm.  I have been under more stress than usual recently and I don't know if that has something to do with it. I can also say that I'm pretty sure my blood pressure is not too high, but higher than should be.  I am not ill, nor do I have any symptoms of being ill. Since I do not have health insurance I have not been able to go to a physician, could you explain possible causes for this elevation, what are some things that I can do to improve the situation, and where I might be able to go to get a low cost medical evaluation. Thank you.

[CCF-M.D.-KE]

Elevated pulse

It is possible that you are experiencing palpitations which are the sensation of one's own heart beat. The increase in heart rate that you describe could be related to the times at which you measure your pulse. I am not sure what has caused this change in your heart rate.  However, regular exercise can result in a lower resting heart rate.

If you are experiencing symptoms you may consider seeing a doctor. For now trying to get more exercise may be a reasonable course of action.  


Thanks for your question,

CCF-MD-KE