hr

hi out there
can someone please tell me what a good heart rate should be. mine keeps changing from about 60 up to 80 and i'm just sitting here. and sometime it feels like it skips a beat. i have had my pm for 3 weeks tomorrow.and i can feel it in my ears thump thump thump drives me nuts



worried

6 Comments

Heart Rate

by SMITTY - 2009-11-04 05:11:11

Hello Dizzy,

I have been told by my doctor that a normal heart rate is from 60 to 100.

If I can guess I will say that your natural heart rate is 80 and for what ever reason it starts to drop and your pacemaker stops it from going below 60, which is the low set point on the PM. As for the thumping you hear, that could be palpations and I'll not even try to guess their cause.

Or it is also possible that your pacemaker may need some adjustments, When are you scheduled to go in for your first checkup? If it is not soon give them a call and let them know you think your pacemaker needs checking. Many of us get our first checkup in 2 to 4 weeks after implant. I should add it is not at all uncommon for a new pacemaker to need some tweaking and it sometimes takes a few tries to get the best settings for a person.

Answer a question for us, what was the diagnosis for your getting a pacemaker.

Good luck,

Smitty

heart rate

by dizzy - 2009-11-05 08:11:30

it was because my hr dropped below 30 and was irregular

Alternative

by ppt - 2009-11-05 08:11:46

You can also just count the number of beats as described above for just 15 seconds and then multiply that number times 4. Cheers :-)

thumping

by Hot Heart - 2009-11-05 08:11:53

Hi there, this may be that you are tuned into what your heart is doing so much at the moment, in time you will probably get used to it and not notice it so much.

HH

Counting heart rate

by J.B. - 2009-11-05 11:11:20

Counting pulse for 15 seconds and multiplying by 4 is a good way to get a quick estimate of your heart rate. But remember if you miss count one heart beat you will miss your actual heart rate by 4 beats. If you do it for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 and miss count one heart beat you are off two beats per minute. So for best accuracy count for 1 full minute.

RHR - Resting Heart Rate

by COBradyBunch - 2009-11-05 11:11:36

As an athlete (cyclist) I learned a lot about HR and what it means. Most people think that your RHR (Resting Heart Rate) is something you take when you are just sitting around. Actually just the act of being awake and sitting elevates your HR. I have included info below on how to take your RHR.

(One note with the below info... for those of us with brady issues a very low RHR doesn't mean we are in great shape, it just may mean you have a screwed up electrical system. My RHR is in the mid to high 50s and my average hr just sitting around is in the low 70s. However I have had HR's as low as about 20 when I was bradying and having the pauses that made me have to get my pacer. I am 50 and last time I maxed my HR on a climb mt biking it hit 181 but during normal workouts I tend to max out right about the 170 mark which is my 'theoretical max'. Do not try and find your own max HR unless you have the okay of your doc. Finding that is a lot harder than finding your RHR and really means you have worked to the point you can't push any harder. My last stress test the tech and I worked to my max on the treadmill and it actually was 10 beats lower than what I can get it up to on the bike since my knees don't like running nearly as much as they like pedaling.)

The resting heart rate should be taken first thing in the morning upon waking and before getting out of bed. Attempt to do this on a day when you are not wakened by a noisey alarm that gets your adrenaline pumping. Your blood levels of adrenaline, caffeine, and other substances are lowest first thing in the morning and represent the ideal time to take the count.

Step 1: Use the correct fingers

Use the index and middle finger to find the pulse. The thumb is never used as it has a pulse of it's own that could interfere with a correct count.

Step 2: Locate your pulse

Most people find their pulse in the side of the neck or at the wrist. If you are locating it in the side of your neck, do not press too hard or you could block blood flow to one side of the brain. Tilt your head back slightly and place your fingers in the groove that is to the side and slightly above the Adam's apple. If you are trying to locate the pulse in your wrist, tilt the hand back slightly and place your fingers on the thumb side of your wrist, not in the middle.

Step 3: Count the beats that you feel

The first count begins with zero. Each successive beat you feel is counted 1, 2, 3 and so forth. Continue counting for one full minute.

Step 4: Record the count

The number should lie somewhere between 45 and 80. An elite athlete will have a low resting heart rate. An older person who is sedentary will have a higher resting heart rate. The higher resting heart rate does not indicate cardiovascular disease but lack of aerobic conditioning.

Drugs affect the resting heart rate. Drugs such as caffeine and those found in cold medications raise the heart rate and do not give a true indication of the resting count. Some drugs have been known to increase the resting heart rate for months after a single dose has been taken.

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