Using the expression “heart beats” or “heart beating” in speech, few of us think about what it literally means. These phrases can characterize such a familiar physiological phenomenon as a pulse. By the number of heartbeats per minute, we can conclude about the well-being of a person and the state of his cardiovascular system. Is pulse 84 considered normal?
Arterial pulse - what is it?
This term refers to the rhythmic jerky vibration of the walls of blood vessels, which occurs as a result of the ejection of blood from the heart into the bloodstream. Basic medical terms came into use from Latin, and the word "pulse" was no exception. Literally, it means a blow, a push, therefore, the verbs “knocking”, “beating” are applied to it.
Where do these blows come from? A pulse is an echo of the heartbeats that cause the arterial walls to oscillate. Thus, a pulse 84 of the beat appears in response to a pulse wave passing through the vessels. It is formed as follows:
- When the myocardium contracts, a certain amount of blood is ejected from the heart chamber into the bloodstream. At this point, which is called systole, the artery expands and the pressure in it rises sharply.
- After this, the heart relaxes and receives a new portion of blood, as if absorbing it into itself - a phenomenon when the pressure in the vessels drops, doctors call it diastole.
This physiological cycle occurs on average in 0.5-1 second. The larger the volume of blood pushed out, the better the blood supply to the organs, so a normal pulse is the amount at which blood (together with oxygen and nutrients) enters the organs in the required volume. So, is a pulse of 84 beats per minute considered normal?
Heart rate in a healthy person
In most cases, a pulse of 84 beats per minute is normal. Moreover, the optimal amount of heart contractions is usually put into the concept of norm. However, this indicator is not constant. Throughout life, it can change, depending on a variety of factors. In an adult healthy individual who does not have problems in the cardiovascular system, the heart beats with a frequency of 60-80 beats if it is in a calm state, but a pulse of 84 beats per minute is normal, because a person is not always calm and immobilized. During physical activity, for example, the number of contractions can increase by 10. Such a deviation is not considered pathological.
What does the pulse depend on?
The number of heart contractions depends on a variety of factors. The pulse responds to internal and external influences, and this should not cause concern. For example, a heart beats more often in a person who is currently experiencing positive or negative emotions, is worried, is engaged in sports. The pulse rate can also increase with some diseases, therefore, by the pulse rate as a biological marker, you can judge human health.
To conclude whether this is normal or not, if the pulse 84 is in a calm state, it is possible only after comparing all the factors. And although 60-80 beats per minute are conventionally considered the norm, such an indicator can also occur in a healthy person. In some people, the heart rate becomes higher under adverse weather conditions, increased atmospheric pressure. If the cause of the rapid pulse was physical activity, it will quickly return to normal - 10-15 minutes of rest are enough. This reaction of the body should not cause concern. If, after resting, a pulse of 84 strokes or higher is recorded, you may need to consult a doctor to exclude pathology.
Interestingly, in men and women, the difference in heart rate can reach 8-9 beats per minute. That is, being at the same age and not having a history of heart disease, they have a different pulse: 84 strokes in women and 76 in men, for example.
Those who play sports professionally have a more limited heart. In general, the pulse 84 in a calm state is normal, especially at the age of over 40-45 years, but this indicator is rare in athletes. Other thresholds are set for this category of people.
Heart rate as an indicator of health
A person's well-being can be judged by several criteria for heart rate:
- Frequency. A pulse of 84 beats per minute can be considered normal in one case and a violation in another.
- The rhythm of contractions. The equality of time intervals between strokes is taken into account. If the gaps are different, then arrhythmia occurs.
- Speed of blows. Thanks to this parameter, it is possible to calculate the rate of fall and increase in pressure in the blood vessels, and both a slowed rate and accelerated dynamics of contractions are considered a violation.
- Tension and filling. For example, with a strained pulse, to stop which it would be necessary to apply force, they make an assumption of hypertension.
To clarify all these indicators, a graphical study of the measurement of the pulse wave is carried out, which is called sphymography.
How to measure heart rate correctly
In addition to knowing which pulse is the norm and when it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance (in particular, pulse 84 is not a reason for special experiences, but it would be worthwhile to be examined by doctors), it is important to be able to correctly measure the frequency of pulse beats. On the body of each person there are several zones through which you can feel the pulsating vessel:
- the radial artery, which is located on the inside of the wrist, under the base of the thumb;
- temporal artery;
- a popliteal blood vessel located in the fold area where the pelvis and thigh join;
- right on the neck under the lower jaw.
Most often, the heart rate is measured on the radial artery, since this vessel is located as close to the surface as possible. To measure the pulse, you need to find a pulsating vein on the wrist and attach two fingers to it. Then you need to use a stopwatch or time the clock, counting the number of beats within a minute.
Features of the male heartbeat
For an adult male heart rate of 60-80 beats per minute - this is quite normal. Pulse 84 in a man who is actively involved in sports is rare, and often indicates violations in the cardiovascular system. For physically prepared people, 50-60 beats per minute is a very common occurrence. Indeed, with regular training, the body adapts to the load over time, the heart muscle increases, due to which the volume of blood ejection also becomes larger. The myocardium does not need to contract with a greater frequency to ensure blood flow. In men, the heart works slower, but better, therefore, the pulse 84 at rest among the stronger sex is rare.
Persons engaged in mental work often have bradycardia - a decrease in the frequency of heartbeats. Moreover, for those men in whose life there is no sport, a pulse of less than 60 beats per minute is not considered satisfactory as well as tachycardia that occurs with the slightest physical exertion. If the heart rate is above 90 beats, the heart is working hard. Such a pulse negatively affects the work of the myocardium and can lead to a heart attack and other diseases. To bring the heart rate back to normal, you need to pay attention to the lifestyle, adjust the daily regimen, nutrition and physical activity.
Pulse in women
For the fairer sex, slightly different indicators apply. The pulse of 84 beats per minute in women, even at rest, should not cause concern, but in order to give an objective assessment of the state of the cardiovascular system, one should consider:
- the presence or absence of diseases of the internal organs;
- age;
- body weight;
- menstrual cycle day.
During menopause, heart rate may be higher than usual. At a pressure of 120 to 84, the pulse 84 is not a cause for concern, but if, in addition to this, the woman has more frequent attacks of tachycardia or drops in blood pressure, you need to contact a cardiologist. Many ladies write off everything to menopause and take sedatives to improve their well-being. However, taking such medications does not always make sense. Perhaps a woman needs a more thorough therapeutic approach and medical care.
A slight increase in heart rate in pregnant women is considered a normal option and does not require intervention. To make sure that the pulse increase is not pathological, it is important to know what boundaries of this indicator are considered acceptable. So, for example, for pregnant women in the first trimester, the norm is a pulse of 84 in a calm state, but an increase to 100 beats per minute is considered acceptable. By the end of pregnancy, the heart is working at maximum load, so heart rate can reach 105 beats per minute. Working hard, the myocardium of a pregnant woman pumps nearly one and a half times more blood.
The upper value of the pulse in a woman during the period of gestation depends on what was the heart rate before pregnancy. The heartbeat of the expectant mother can also become more frequent due to lying on her back in a horizontal position, so women who are expecting a replenishment in the family are recommended to sleep on their side or reclining.
Heart rate in children
The highest pulse in a person can be at an early age. In infants, this figure always exceeds 100 units. So, for example, for only babies born, a healthy heart rate is a reduction rate of at least 140 beats per minute. By the first birthday, this value gradually decreases, reaching 110-130 strokes. Doctors explain such a rapid heartbeat by the rapid growth and development of the body, which needs an enhanced metabolism. In the future, a slowdown in heart contractions occurs with less activity.
The indicator of 100 beats per minute is reached by the age of six. However, at this age, pulse 84 is still not considered the norm. What should I do if a child under six years old has a much lower heart rate? This means that the heart cannot work fully and does not supply blood to the internal organs and the brain, so even if the child does not complain of poor health, it must still be shown to the doctor. Only in adolescence, the pulse reaches indicators that are considered normal for an adult - 65-85 beats per minute.
What should be the heart rate at different ages
Before you start comparing your own measurements with optimal indicators, you need to have an idea of the heart rate at the appropriate age. Moreover, it is necessary to rely on the minimum and maximum values of heart contractions: if the measurement shows a pulse below the norm, bradycardia can be suspected, if tachycardia is higher, however, the diagnosis is exclusively the responsibility of a cardiologist.
Now consider the heart rate by age:
- In newborn babies, the highest rates are recorded, the range of which is in the range of 110-170 beats per minute. Averaged value is considered 140 heartbeats.
- By the end of the 12th month, the heart contracts more slowly - from 100 to 160 beats per minute, and on average 130.
- In babies from one to two years, the heart rate is 95-155 beats per minute. Average of 125 cuts in 60 seconds.
- For children aged two to six years, 85-125 heartbeats are considered the norm.
- In schoolchildren 6-8 years old, the myocardium is reduced 75-120 times per minute.
- Children 8-12 years old have a pulse of 65 to 110 beats per minute.
- For adolescents (12-15 years), the absolute norm is considered to be a heart rate of 60-95 beats per minute.
- After 16 years, the pulse beats with the same frequency as in adults: in men 55-80 beats per minute, and in women 60-90.
Data are for individuals who do not have pathologies of the cardiovascular system. All measurements should be made at rest. The most reliable result can be obtained after sleep or a short rest.
At rest and under load
Not only diseases, but also temporary external influences affect the heart rate. As a rule, the temporary increase in heart rate can be restored after rest and the elimination of provoking factors. What then should a pulse be for a healthy person in various conditions?
The above values, which are considered the norm of heart rate for children and adults, are taken into account at rest. Doctors, speaking of a healthy heartbeat, always have in mind the indicators obtained when measuring in a calm state. In adults, this indicator is 60-80 beats per minute, and in some cases it can be higher (for example, in women and people without physical training) or lower.
To calculate the pulse in a person during sports, you should use a special formula. The following simple mathematical operations are required:
- The maximum heart rate is calculated as follows: from the number 220, the number of full years is taken away (for example, for people of 30 years of age it will be 190).
- The minimum heart rate during exercise is half the calculated maximum. Returning to our example with a 30-year-old man, we get 95.
- With moderate physical exertion, 70% of the maximum indicator is considered acceptable. Thus, 190 x 70% = 133 beats per minute for a person at 30 years old are considered normal during exercise.
You can engage in sports or physical work in different ways, with varying intensity, which determines the number of heartbeats. Each person can have their own heart rate both at rest and during exercise. However, to calculate the number of myocardial contractions during moderate physical exertion, the heart rate will range from 50 to 70% of the maximum indicator, which is calculated as the result of calculations between 220 and the number of full years.
Many are interested in why there is such a huge difference between these indicators. The thing is that the norm for each person is calculated individually. It should be calculated individually, taking into account physical preparation, the presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system in the anamnesis, general well-being, anxiety and other characteristics of the body. That is why athletes need to periodically undergo a comprehensive medical examination.
By the way, what pressure should a pulse of 84 beats per minute be? This is a very popular question, but it is definitely impossible to answer it. Blood pressure as well as pulse is an individual value, depending on different conditions. In general, the norm for an adult at rest is 120/80 mm Hg. Art., however, these figures are not a constant. Under load, the indicator may be higher. It increases in people with arterial hypertension, overweight, and kidney disease.
A stable heart rate after eating can also talk about pathological disorders in the body. Doctors call this phenomenon gastrocardial syndrome. It can occur with various diseases of the digestive and endocrine systems, diseases of the heart and blood vessels. In this case, we are not talking about a slight increase in heart rate, which appears within 10 minutes after eating as a result of overeating. To assimilate the food received in the body, a more active metabolism is required, and to start it, an increase in the heart rate. However, if after each meal the pulse increases by 10-15 units and the pressure rises, it is necessary to consult a doctor.