There are four ways to take a pulse: using the wrist, neck, knee, or medical equipment. Checking your pulse regularly can detect early warning signs of health risks. The normal heart rate varies and a doctor should be consulted for an individual’s target rate.
There are four main ways to take a pulse: using the veins in the wrist, the arteries in the neck or knee, or using medical equipment such as a stethoscope or an oximeter, a device that measures the pulse through the fingertip. A person’s pulse is basically the number of times their heart beats in one minute. Given the location of the heart deep in the chest, actually hearing it isn’t always the best way to count, particularly for people without medical equipment. Heartbeats may be felt more easily in other places, usually where major arteries or blood channels run relatively close to the skin’s surface.
General importance
Medical experts often recommend that people learn to take their pulse both as a way to monitor overall health and as a means of keeping conditions like high blood pressure under control. An irregular pulse or an elevated heart rate can be an indication of serious health risks. By checking your pulse regularly, you can detect these types of early warning signs and see a doctor before the condition escalates to a dangerous level.
Wrist use
People often find that the radial pulse is the easiest to take. The most common method is to place two fingers on the wrist next to the thumb. Feeling a rhythmic pulse here is normal; this is blood flowing through the radial artery. People would need to count the number of pulses they feel during a 60-second period to determine their pulse rate. It is important to use the first and second fingers of the hand and not the thumb as the thumb has its own pulse which can be confused with the radial pulse.
Arteries in the knees
The popliteal pulse can be counted with the same method, just inside the knee instead of the wrist. Ideally, the person taking the pulse should press their fingers gently but firmly into the center of the inside knee, just where the leg bends inward. This method typically works best when the individual being measured is standing. The radial and popliteal methods often require some practice to master. If a person has difficulty getting good results, the carotid method may prove less difficult.
feel the neck
The carotid arteries are the large arteries located on both sides of the neck. These are two of the largest in the body and as such are typically the easiest to use for pulse purposes. Experts usually recommend that people use two fingers again for this method, which should be placed on the side of the neck just below the chin.
With a stethoscope
Medical professionals traditionally use the so-called “apical method” to take the pulse. The method is simple; basically, the doctor places a stethoscope over the heart and manually counts the number of beats that occur within sixty seconds. One of the biggest benefits of this method is that it allows the doctor to identify any changes in the sound of the heart in addition to the pulse rate.
Other medical instruments
Many modern clinics and practices also use digital tools to collect pulse information. Instruments known as “oximeters” are common in these situations. Oximeters are small devices that clip painlessly to people’s fingertips and count the heartbeats coursing through their veins. The results are usually very accurate, but are nearly impossible to replicate without sensitive equipment.
Definition of “normal”
The normal heart rate for an individual varies with medical conditions, activity level, medications, and other health factors. A doctor should be consulted to know the target rate for each individual. Heart rate monitoring and recording should generally be done when a person is involved in a heavy exercise routine or starts new medications that can impact the heart, as well as for people who have medical conditions involving the heart or blood pressure in general.
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