Where and how to find the pulse correctly? Measurement of the pulse in humans

The human body works continuously throughout life. Even when we just rest or sleep, internal organs still function. It is impossible to trace their work without special instruments. But heart activity is quite realistic, because the heart constantly sends its signals in the form of a pulse.

What is the pulse?

Pulse is the pressure of the blood flow created by contractions of the heart muscle. In other words, it reflects the rhythm, speed and strength of the movement of the heart. This organ causes the blood to circulate rhythmically through the circulatory system. When you push it out of the heart, the vessels fill up more, and this pressure can be felt by touching their walls. But before you find the pulse, it's correct It is necessary to know, in what place at the person it is better he is probed. How to measure the pulse in other parts of the body? It is necessary to find such areas where the vessels have maximum access to touch. In other words, so that there is not a fat or muscle tissue between the skin and the blood vessel , there are several such places:

1. Wrist of the hand. Pulsation of the radial artery.
2. On the ulnar artery.
3. Elbow bend, on the brachial artery.
4. Axillary hollow.
5. In the area of the temple above the eyebrow, where the temporal artery is visible.
6. Neck, at the site of the carotid artery.
7. The edge of the lower jaw and the corner of the mouth - in these places a facial pulse is felt.
8. The groin is the inner side of the thigh. A femoral pulse is felt here.
9. Under the knee. Measure the pulse can be in the pit of the leg bend, where the popliteal artery passes, the limb is not bent at the time of measurement.
10. Feet of feet. A palpitation of the heart is felt above the arch of the foot, in the middle or behind the ascent.

There are circumstances in which it is impossible to determine the pressure at the most common place - the wrist. If the pulse measurement here failed, the other points given above can be used.

Types of pulse

Blood vessels differ not only in their location, but in their size and functions. Therefore, pulsation can be different, namely:

1. Arterial - the oscillation of the walls of arteries, that is, those vessels that carry blood from the heart to all the internal organs of man.
2. Venous - a contraction of veins that push blood from the organs to the heart.
3. Capillary. This pulse also takes place, as even the smallest vessels experience some oscillations from contractions of the cardiac muscle. But to determine the pulse by capillary vibrations is undesirable because of the multitude of disturbances. In addition, the pressure of blood in the capillaries varies insignificantly, and only large changes can be noticed.

It is very important to know how to find the pulse correctly. In most cases, when talking about measuring the pulse, it is exactly the search for the arterial index. Other varieties are needed for special medical research.

Why measure the pulse?

Pulse is one of the main signs of life, it helps to monitor the state of human health . Normally, the blood ripple frequency corresponds to the heart rate. Before you find the pulse, it's right to measure it, you need to learn how to count it and know what is the norm. This is the heart rate per minute in a calm state. Here are the main indicators of the normal pulse for different categories of people:

1. 60-100 beats per minute - for an adult.
2. 120-160 beats per minute for newborn babies.
3. 80-140 beats per minute - for children from 1 year and up.
4. 75-120 beats per minute - for preschool children.
5. 70-110 beats per minute - for children over 7 years.
6. 40-60 beats per minute - for some categories of trained people and athletes.

As the person grows, the heart rate decreases, because the bigger and stronger the heart, the fewer movements he needs to perform in order to ensure normal blood circulation for the whole organism.

Why does the pulse rate change?

Palpitation can not be permanent. Therefore, it is very important to know the normal figure, since it is not easy to measure the pulse correctly. The rhythm of the heartbeats can change literally in a matter of minutes under the influence of both external and internal factors. The most common causes that affect the increase or decrease in heart rate:

1. Postponed stress or emotion. Than these factors are stronger, the palpitation becomes more frequent.
2. Health status. If a person raises the temperature, then, respectively, and increases the number of beats per minute.
3. Some food, drinks and alcohol. Stimulators of the central nervous system, such as coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages, accelerate the pulse rate, and hot food including.
4. Position of the human body. A lying person has a slower heart beat than a seated or standing person.
5. Massage, bathing, physical therapy.
6. Times of Day. The most favorable period for the slowest heartbeat is the night when a person rests. The maximum pulse rate can be between 8-12 hours of the day and 18-20 hours of the evening.

At physical exertions, an increase in heart rate is also observed. Therefore, before you measure the pulse, you need to choose a favorable time and environment. Frequent movements of the heart can be caused by an inflammatory process, and a slow pulse may indicate anemia or metabolic disorders.

How to measure the pulse?

The pulse should be read within 1 minute, although it can be fixed after 15 seconds, then multiply the result by 4. Before finding the pulse, it is correct To measure it, you need to clasp your wrist with three fingers - anonymous, middle and index. Men should preferably do this on their left arm, and women on the right. When fingers feel a ripple, you need to start measuring your pulse. The obtained data can be written down for the next monitoring and comparison.

Some tips for measuring heart rate

• Before measuring the pulse, you need to lie down for a few minutes for a while.
• You can not palpate both carotid arteries at the same time, as this can reduce the flow of blood to the brain.
• It is not recommended to press too hard on the neck during the carotid palpation, as this can lead to a slowing of the heart rate.

When any degree of irregular heart attacks is observed, it is urgent to seek medical advice from a doctor.