Let’s first understand your normal heart rate range. As an adult, the normal range for resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. This applies to anyone over the age of 17 – babies and toddlers have faster heart rates because of their smaller bodies and heart size. This ‘normal’ range for heart rate does not change over the adult lifespan. have bradycardia (slow heart) slower than 60; There is a rapid tachycardia (pounding heart) over 100. “But some experts believe that an ideal resting heart rate is closer to 50 to 70. Regardless of what is considered normal, it is important to recognize that a healthy heart rate will vary depending on the situation. ,” says Dr N Ganesan, Senior Consultant – Interventional Cardiology, Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre, Madurai.
According to Dr. Jaideep Menon, Consultant, Adult Cardiology, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, “The heart rate is a good reflector of one’s general health status, with highly fit trained athletes having a very low heart rate. Similarly, physically Neurotic individuals have a higher resting heart rate. Furthermore, heart rate reflects mental health status with increased rates of stressed, nervous, anxious individuals.”
To put it simply, the heart is pumped through electrical activity generated by a small battery in the heart called the sinoatrial node (SAN). The electric current generated in the SAN travels through specialized conduction systems in the heart to spread to all parts of the heart and initiate mechanical contraction, which occurs almost simultaneously in the two lower chambers (ventricles) and the two top chambers (atria). Is. “SAN may not be firing at a normal rate as a result of a low heart rate, abnormalities in the conduction of current, or for other non-cardiac medical conditions (hypothyroidism, high potassium in the blood, medications that lower the heart rate, hypothermia, etc.) may be secondary.) Low heart rate should not always be pathological, but may be considered when associated with symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, loss of consciousness (syncope), or when the heart rate does not increase in line with the level of physical activity. should be considered abnormal, ”explains Dr. Menon.
warning signs of a slow and high heart rate
Heart rate is one of the early reflectors of underlying disease conditions, showing variability with myriad medical conditions ranging from anemia, thyroid disorders, metabolic disorders, liver diseases, inflammatory and infectious conditions, etc.
A slow heart rate can be a sign of diseases such as:
- Heart attack or other heart disease (such as “sick sinus syndrome”)
- Certain infections (including Lyme disease or typhoid fever)
- High levels of potassium in the blood (hyperkalemia)
- an underactive thyroid gland
Diseases associated with a fast heart rate include:
- Most infections or just about any cause of fever
- Heart problems, eg cardiomyopathy (in which the pumping function of the heart is reduced), atrial fibrillation, or ventricular tachycardia
- Certain medicines (such as EpiPen)
- Low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia)
- an overactive thyroid gland or too much thyroid medicine
- anemia
- asthma or other breathing problems
workout and heart rate
Heart rate increases with exercise as a physiological response to meet the body’s oxygen demands. “Rates of up to 120-150 beats per minute can be seen in moderate to heavy exertion in normal healthy individuals. A low resting heart rate may be seen in individuals who exercise regularly. Resting heart rates in professional athletes Can be as low as 40 beats per minute. Heart rate between 50-60 beats per minute can be observed in heart patients on certain medications like beta blockers,” said Dr. Venkata D Nagarajan, Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist Lead – Heart Rhythm & Cardiac Device Services, shared by Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute.
COVID. increased heart rate after
COVID-19 infection can cause inflammation of the heart or lung tissue, putting people at high risk of clotting, which can increase the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary embolism (clots in the lungs) Is. Nagarajan says that all these conditions as well as the persistently low oxygen level in the blood due to Kovid-19 infection can cause the heart rate to increase continuously.
One of the leading causes of death after COVID 19 infection is the development of clots in the lungs (pulmonary infarction) as well as cardiac involvement. Cardiac abnormalities secondary to COVID-19 may be secondary to myocardial infarction, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart caused by the coronavirus), stress cardiomyopathy (mimicking a myocardial infarction in both symptom and presentation) or through heart rhythm abnormalities . fibrillation) that all occur during or shortly after an infection, shares Dr. Menon.
Very few people continue to complain of palpitations or fatigue even after 1 month of COVID19 infection (prolonged COVID). These individuals will require a detailed cardiac and pulmonology evaluation to rule out permanent damage or sequelae.
Dr Nagarajan says, “Preliminary tests needed to further investigate heart rhythm or rate abnormalities include an electrocardiogram (electrical recording of heart activity), ambulatory 24-hour heart rate monitoring, echocardiogram (assessment of pumping function and other valve abnormalities). Ultrasound scan of the heart) and blood tests to exclude conditions such as thyroid abnormalities, infections, anemia (anemia (loss of blood) and electrolyte disturbances (such as high or low potassium and magnesium levels).
- What are the common symptoms of slow and fast heart rate?
Common symptoms of a slow heart rate include: fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or almost fainting, confusion, inability to exercise. Common symptoms of a fast heart rate include: tiredness, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting or near-fainting palpitations, or a pounding or fluttering sensation in the chest⦁feeling your heart beatshortness of breathchest pain or tightness to feel.
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