If you have ever felt that your pulse was too high for the occasion or situation, then you may have wondered what this could mean. Usually, you hear about a high pulse rate on TV and it sounds like a symptom of something very wrong. There is truth to this. While a high pulse rate is normal for physical exertion, you should not experience a high pulse rate when you are trying to relax or get to sleep. However, in order to understand how to react to this situation, you must know how high a pulse must be in order to be classified as high.
What Is a High Pulse Rate?A normal pulse rate is somewhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute (BPM) in a state of rest. When you sleep, your heart rate should actually fall even lower than that, to about 40 BPM. Anything above 100 BPM is usually referred to as tachycardia.
What Causes a High Pulse RateThis high pulse rate can be caused by many different factors once physical exertion has been ruled out. Some of these causes are not very serious as far as the health of your heart is concerned. For instance, a heavy meal can cause your heart rate to temporarily exceed its normal rate of pulse. Emotional stress can do the same. Stimulating substances and medications can also cause your heart rate to increase temporarily.
Just because the alteration ion your pulse rate is temporary does not mean that it is not serious. Over-stimulating the heart on a regular basis can have negative consequences. However, you should not add any extra emotional stress to your heart by misinterpreting these events as something more serious. There are also serious and dangerous causes to high pulse rate. Heart disease, thyroid malfunction and emphysema can all cause your pulse to reach abnormally high levels. If you experience high pulse rate and cannot see why it might be happening, you should contact a physician and explain what has happened to you.
