Discussing common health issues affecting us with age & sharing comments for better health & longevity-By Dr.Harold Gunatillake

Pulse-what you should know about?
Transcript:
Checking your pulse at your wrist at the base of your thumb regularly, will save many health issues related to your cardiovascular disease and other organs like your thyroid gland.
Pulse is generally checked at your wrist- called the Radial pulse: at the neck called the carotid pulse.
Checking your pulse at the wrist:
Check on the inside of your wrist, below your thumb.
Gently place two fingers of your other hand on this artery. Count the beats for 30 sec. and multiply by two.
You cannot feel your heart but checking on your radial pulse you could read your heart.
Roll the two fingers over the radial artery softly and gently.

If the artery feels soft and compressible, that would be an indication that your coronary arteries are also the same. That would give you a sense of relief that the blood supply to the heart muscle is satisfactory.
A young person’s radial artery would feel soft and elastic. As you grow older the arterial wall tends to thicken – a process called arteriosclerosis.
You must always endeavor to keep your arteries as soft and flexible all the time with good lifestyle habits.
Incidentally, taking fish oil capsules daily keeps your blood vessels soft and elastic.
If on rolling your two fingers the radial artery feels thick, that would mean that your coronary arteries are also thickened, and that would indicate the presence of plaque formations in your coronary arteries.
You can take remedial measures to clear those plaques, by changing your lifestyle habits.

How do you get this pulse in your arteries?
The arterial pulse reflects the interaction between a driving force due to contraction of the left ventricle chamber of your heart, and the resistance to blood flow caused by the arterial walls. The driving force is dependent on the intrinsic contractility of the left ventricle, the size and shape of the heart, and the heart rate.
So, the pulse pressure you feel depends on the contraction of the left ventricle muscles. This is also referred to as the left ventricular stroke volume.
If the pulse feels calm on palpation, at a speed of approximately 70-80 per minute, and regular at rest- is an indication that your heart is working without a strain or much effort.
Knowing the pulse rate also gives an idea whether the heart circulates oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body.
If you feel an increase push or a thump on palpating the radial artery, that could be a sign of high blood pressure. You need to check your BP with your own BP apparatus.
In an emergency the pulse rate can help find out if the heart is pumping enough blood, as one faints or feel dizzy and light-headed.
As I mentioned earlier you should keep your pulse or heart rate between the ranges 70-80 per minute.
A pulse rate could be as much as 100 per minute with no concern, and without heart disease. This is quite common among sedentary people who do not exercise regularly.
Olympic athletes bring down the pulse rate to 40 per minute through vigorous training.

Rapid heart or pulse rate could be caused by many diseases, disorders and conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure anxiety and so on.
Other causes of rapid pulse rate includes infections in the lung, fever from any cause, infections of the blood, anemia, low blood pressure, dehydration, drinking alcohol and caffeine in coffee.
The term tachycardia is used by the doctors to mean when the pulse or heart rate is over 100 beats per minute.
If your pulse count is over 100 per minute, you need to see your doctor immediately.
If untreated can strain your heart muscles and lead to heart failure, stroke, sudden cardiac arrest, or death There are three types of it: Supraventricular, Atrial fibrillations and sinus tachycardia. Let’s not go deeper onto this topic.
When you feel the radial pulse, check whether there are skipped beats, or the pulse is irregular.
Rapid or Irregular Pulse
An occasional “skipped” heartbeat may be no cause for concern. But if you have a rapid or irregular heart rate this could be a symptom of a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia. This rapid or irregular pulse may also be accompanied by weakness, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Seek medical attention immediately – some arrhythmias can lead to stroke, heart failure, or death without prompt medical intervention.
Bradycardia is a slower than normal heart rate. It is also a serious problem if the heart doesn’t pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body.
Bottomline is: Check your radial pulse regularly when you are 40 and over.
If there are changes from the normal rate, rhythm, or the feel, see your doctor for further tests.
Hope this article was useful.
Goodbye for now,-Stay safe

Website: www.Doctorharold.com

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