heart rate

[bevamjo]

my heart rate is always over 100. could this just be normal for me? my blood pressure is low to average. i am not sedentary nor overly active. is this something i should be concerned about? thx

[bevamjo]

took my pulse last night and tonight. i was very much surprised and relieved! last night, i didn't have a good timer, so i wasn't sure how accurate it was. it started off SO fast that i could barely keep up counting! then it very suddenly slowed... the change was so drastic to me; but then i have never really taken my pulse. anyway..my count was somewhere around 75, i believe. forgot to take it this morning upon awakening...so took it a while ago; with a timer, and this time it was 72! so now i'm wondering if the blood pressure cuffs are ever accurate... because every time i have used one (and i used to have one, so did it fairly regularly) my heart rate was always UP there. now it seems odd to me that the last time i used one of those, it read 102 while at rest; and i had been sitting there for at least 30 minutes. so....? don't trust em, i say! i am going to keep doing it myself; and would also like to check it against a cuff to see the difference. i'm feeling kind of silly now, making an issue of it! but much better about it! thank you all for your prompt advice and thoughts on the matter! this is a very helpful site and i am going to recommend it to my friends with health issues; which is most all of them at our age! thx! :)

[Gulfstream2]

Hey there, glad I could offer some help.

One morning I woke up, not having hydrated well enough the night before or that morning, and after breakfast whilst at my laptop, I took my pulse and found it to be weak and "stringy" which I later read is a classic symptom of being dehydrated. I wasn't urinating clear either (your urine should be clear all day long) and this told me what the issue was. I began drinking water and after a few ten ounce glasses my heart rate was lower and my pulse felt full like it normally does. Drink a good right glasses per day, good sized of course. If its hot outdoors, if you are exercising or working hard, drink even more.

Best regards!

[bevamjo]

thank you all for your answers. i am now thinking that it is because i am not hydrated enough. i KNOW that i do not drink water enough- something i will now make SURE i change! i will also take my own pulse upon wakening and see what the result is then. i don't feel that i am that lacking in exercise...not that i work out; but i am always up and moving about thru-out the day. i will take my heart rate, hydrate MUCH more...and see if there is a difference. if i am very conscious about hydrating...should i see a difference, in say....days? a week? i appreciate all your input...this is a great site and i'm glad i found it!

[Gulfstream2]

Hey there,

If your RHR is 100 BPM, that is a bit on the high side although it is considered normal since the adult range is from 60-100 BPM. If it is hovering around that rate at rest (make sure that you have been at rest for at least fifteen minutes before you take it) and you aren't having any other symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain, then it sounds like you simply need to get better conditioning. The average RHR 70-75 BPM, for active people it tends to be more in sixties. For sporty folks it is normal to see a resting heart rate any where from 46-60 BPM range.

The best thing to do is to take your RHR first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. I do this and find mine to usually be in the 54-60 BPM range.

Medication could be causing it, certain foods might play a role too. Or it could be hypovolemia, caused when you don't get enough water. Blood is 80% water so if you aren't hydrated a high pulse rate is a good indicator.

[abc85]

A resting HR around a 100 isn't normal.  It's worth asking your Dr about so they could check to see if their is a reason for it such as a thyroid problem.  If your HR is that while you are resting, what is it doing when you are up and moving about?  Do you take any medications that could cause it be a little high, such as Adderall?  Do you consume a lot of caffeine?  Are you overweight or out of shape?  Have you actually felt your pulse and counted it to get your pulse that way?  I don't always trust BP machines to give you an accurate HR.  A resting HR around 100 isn't anything to get excited about and isn't dangerous, however it would be something to mention to your Dr next time you see them, just to make sure everything is in order.  

A heart mumur is an extra or unusual sound noticed when listening to your heart.  There are harmless ones and there are concerning ones.  I'm guessing since your Dr wasn't concerned then you have a harmless one.  Lots of people have benign mumurs.  Not sure how old you are, but they are more common in young adults and children.  In adults, generally a mumur is indicative of a valve issue.  Most times they are associated with the mitral valve (sits between the L atrium and L ventricle).  Could be that you have just a slight mitral valve regurgitation.  This can be benign and common.  If you aren't having any shortness of breath, syncope, chest pain, dizziness, or exercise intolerance, you are probably ok.  

[bevamjo]

oh, and to answer your questions: yes, that was my rate when just sitting around. and no, i do not experience the symptoms you mentioned. i never eat salt, because most foods already contain so much sodium; but i'm guessing maybe i should. years ago, and i mean it's been a very long time...during a check-up the dr. asked me if anyone had ever told me that i had a heart murmur- and left it at that. no dr. since then has ever mentioned it; so i assumed it wasn't an issue. exactly what is a heart murmur? guess i need to hit the google button, lol

[bevamjo]

thank you. i took my blood pressure  the other day, and the heart rate showed 102; which i recall seeing this rate for me in the past (around 100) so thought nothing of it. my friend got me concerned because he remarked that 102 was high, and that the norm was around 70...? not sure if that's correct, but anyway whatever the "norm" is- mine was above it. his blood pressure was sky-high, while mine was 110/80- but his heart rate was around 80, which he said was high for him. so blood pressure and heart rate aren't related? i need to do some studying. lol

[MichelleP_3811]

Is it over 100 when you are sitting around doing nothing?  Do you have other symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath or dizziness?  A beat a bit over 100 is not overly concerning.  I have always been around the nineties until I started to work out more.  If you do not have any other troubling symptoms then you really don't have anything to worry about. It could be a response to a bit of low blood pressure and may just need a bit more sodium in your diet.  I would suggest going to your GP for a check up and full blood panel to make sure all your readings are in order.  Let them know your concerns, especially if this is new for you.  But in general make sure you aren't having too low a sodium diet, make sure you stay well hydrated, maybe even staying away from caffeine, and get some cardio in and you may find some improvement.  Take care.