Why is my walking heart rate so high

A racing heart can be scary.

Heart attack? Panic attack? The symptoms can be similar.

A fast-beating heart may be concerning or it could just be anxiety, which can come and go. A normal pulse or heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (BPM) taken when you’re not exercising, known as your resting heart rate.

Anything that causes increased stimulation, whether physical or emotional, could increase your heart rate. That includes caffeine and other herbal and medicinal stimulants.

Heart rhythm versus heart rate

Besides the rate of your heartbeat, your heart’s rhythm is another indicator of whether your heart is healthy. Your heart muscle contracts and relaxes in a certain pattern. It could be regular, irregular, fast or slow.

A health care provider can tell if your heart rhythm is regular by listening to your heart with a stethoscope or examining an electrocardiogram or EKG, a test used to evaluate the heart.

If your heart rhythm is regular and yet you have a fast heart beat — over 100 BPM — your high pulse rate likely isn’t heart-related. What’s driving your heart rate up could be dehydration, anxiety, fever, medications, anemia, sleep deprivation, an overactive thyroid or another issue.

However, if your heart rhythm is irregular, the question of whether you need to be concerned depends on what’s causing it. Atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and supraventricular tachycardia are all conditions in which the heart beats faster than normal or at an erratic pace. Left untreated, these conditions could lead to heart failure.

When is a pulse too slow?

Instead of a consistently fast heart rate, say yours is often under 60 beats per minute. That, too, can be caused by several different factors. Medications, sleep apnea, fitness level, an underactive thyroid, hypothermia, anorexia or a disorder affecting how electrical impulses travel through your heart are some of the causes of a slow heart rate.

If you have other symptoms along with a slow heart rate such as dizziness, fainting, fatigue, confusion or shortness of breath, see your health care provider.

Well-conditioned athletes often have a low resting heart rate in the 40s or 50s. This is because exercise strengthens the heart muscle, allowing it to pump more blood with each heartbeat, so the heart beats fewer times per minute. Older individuals also sometimes have a heart rate under 60 BPM. Regardless of age, it’s also normal for someone’s heart rate to dip lower than usual during sleep.

Even more important than your heart’s rate is its rhythm. You can have a heart rate in the 30s or in the 120s, but if your heart rhythm is normal, that may not be dangerous.

Your pulse may even be normal and yet you have a dangerous heart rhythm, also called arrhythmia.

Know your heart rate

You can check whether your pulse is normal by taking it yourself, putting your pointer and middle fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist just below the thumb. When you feel a pulse, count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds then multiply the number you get by four to get the number of beats per minute.

Another way to find out your heart rate is with a device such as a blood pressure monitor or pulse oximeter, which measures the oxygen level in your blood.

Checking your heart rhythm

Several devices can be used to find your heart’s rhythm:

• An EKG is a painless test that can be done in the office and gives a quick snapshot of heart rhythm at that time. Electrodes are placed on your chest, arms and legs to record the activity. The test takes just about 10 minutes.
• A Holter monitor is a small device you wear that records a continuous ECG, usually for 24 to 48 hours.
• A cardiac event monitor is similar to a Holter monitor but can be worn for up to 30 days.
• Devices such as loop recorders can be implanted under the skin to monitor your heart rhythm for up to 3 years.

When should you see a doctor about your heart rate?

You may want to start with a visit to your health care provider if your heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute or below 60 beats per minute (and you’re not an athlete), or if you’re also experiencing shortness of breath, fainting spells, lightheadedness or feeling fluttering or palpitations in your chest. It may be nothing to worry about, or it could be something that needs to be treated.

• Is a 200 bpm Bad?
  • Is a heart rate of 200 bpm bad?
• Heart Rate
  • What is the heart rate?
• How to Check
  • How to check your heart rate?
• Average Resting Heart Rate By Age
  • What is an average resting heart rate by age?
• How to Lower Heart Rate
  • How to achieve a healthier lower heart rate
• Related Resources
  • Related Resources - What Heart Rate Is Too High? Chart

Learn to calculate your target heart rate zone.

Generally, for adults, a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute (tachycardia) is considered high.

Your heart rate usually rises when you walk fast, run, or do any strenuous physical activities. 

Is a heart rate of 200 bpm bad?

Maximum heart rate and Target Heart Rate

Before doing any vigorous exercise, you should know your maximum heart rate and target heart rate, both of which vary by age.

Going beyond your maximum heart rate is not healthy for you. Your maximum heart rate depends on your age. 

• Subtracting your age from the number 220 will give you your maximum heart rate. Suppose your age is 35 years, your maximum heart rate is 185 beats per minute. If your heart rate exceeds 185 beats per minute during exercise, it is dangerous for you. So, 200 beats per minute are bad for you in this case.
• Similarly, if your age is 20 years, your maximum heart rate is 200 beats per minute. So, more than 200 beats per minute heart rate during exercise is dangerous for you.
• If you develop palpitations, an irregular heart rate, shortness of breath, or chest pain, you need to seek medical help right away. This could be a sign of an impending heart attack or other life-threatening heart problems.
• Your target heart rate zone is the range of heart rate that you should aim for if you want to become physically fit. It is calculated as 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. 
• Your target heart rate helps you know if you are exercising at the right intensity.
• It is always better to consult your doctor before starting any vigorous exercise. This is especially important if you have diabetes, heart disease or you are a smoker. Your doctor might advise you to lower your target heart rate by 50 percent or more.

If you exercise regularly, or if you are an athlete, you may have a lower heart rate. Research says that a low resting heart rate is healthy for your heart.

Your aim should be to keep doing moderate-to-vigorous exercises regularly. This will help you lower your resting heart rate in the long run.

What is the heart rate?

Generally, for adults, a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute (tachycardia) is considered high.

Heart rate or pulse rate is the number of times your heart beats in a minute. It is a simple measure to know how much your heart works during rest or activities. 

Heart rate is one of the vital signs that are checked regularly whenever you visit your doctor, or when you get admitted to the hospital.

Your heart rate is lower when you are resting and higher when you are doing any kind of activity, or are feeling stressed or anxious. 

When you exercise, your heart needs to work harder, which increases your heart rate. As soon as you rest, the heart rate starts decreasing gradually and returns to its normal level, usually within an hour.

How to check your heart rate?

Your heart rate can be checked by taking your pulse.

You can check your heart rate by counting your pulse. A pulse can be felt at various sites on the body like over the sides of the neck, the wrist, and the top of the foot. To check your pulse on the wrist with the help of your middle finger and index finger, you need to:

• Keep your middle finger and your index finger over the inner part of the wrist (thumb side) and keep pressing gently until you can feel your pulse. The pulse is felt in your radial artery.
• After you have located your pulse, look at the watch, and start counting the beats for 30 seconds. Doubling this count will give you your heart rate. You can even count the beats for 10 seconds and multiply the number by six to get your heart rate.

If you find the rhythm of your heartbeat slightly irregular, you will have to count the beats completely until 60 seconds. You will have to visit your doctor if you keep getting a fast and irregular heart rate consistently.

SLIDESHOW

What is an average resting heart rate by age?

When you are resting - whether sitting or lying down - you can check your resting heart rate. Provided that you have not smoked, consumed coffee, or exercised vigorously an hour before. Activities such as smoking, having coffee, loud noises, and vigorous physical activity make your heart beat faster for a while, and so you might not get your exact resting heart rate. And hence this may interfere with the correct heart rate.

Average resting heart rate by age chart

Health News

How to achieve a healthier lower heart rate

Regular exercise is a great way to lower your heart rate.

A heart rate lower than 80 beats per minute is associated with a lowered risk of dying from a heart attack according to the American Heart Association.

Staying physically active by doing moderate to vigorous exercise regularly is one of the best ways to achieve a lower heart rate that leads to a healthy and long life.

Changes in your lifestyle that may lower your heart rate include:

• Reducing the intake of coffee and caffeine-containing products
• Avoiding binge drinking
• Avoiding smoking
• Intake of a healthy diet to keep weight under check
• Doing deep breathing to manage stress and anxiety

QUESTION

Medically Reviewed on 3/2/2022

References

REFERENCES:

Normal Vital Signs. Available at: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2172054-overview#a2.

Your Heart Rate. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/watching-rate- monitor?tex=vb3&prop16=vb3.

Heart Rate and Exercise: How Much Do You Know? Available at: https://www.webmd.com/fitness- exercise/rm-quiz-heart-rate-and-exercise

What to Do If Your Heart Races, Slows Down, or Skips a Beat. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/what-to-do-heart-races

Pulse & Heart Rate. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/17402-pulse-- heart-

rate#:~:text=Normal%20heart%20rates%20at%20rest,60%20%E2%80%93%20100%20beats%20per %20minute

Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress- management/stress-relief-breathing-techniques#1

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