Many people check their heartbeat rates while exercising to help determine how hard they are working out. While this is useful information, normal heartbeat rate guidelines are for measuring the heartbeat rate while at rest. Physicians also find the heartbeat rate very useful when making diagnoses. If physicians hear an abnormal heartbeat rate, they may order additional medical tests.
Heartbeat Rate
The normal heartbeat rate is taken while a person is at rest. Heartbeat rates vary by age: newborns have the fastest heartbeat rates, ranging from 100 to 160 beats per minute; children from 1 to 10 years of age have heartbeat rates from 70 to 120 beats per minute; normal heartbeat rates for those 10 years of age and older are from 60 to 100 beats per minute; and athletes generally have stronger hearts, and are likely to have heartbeat rates ranging from 40 to 60 beats per minute.
Function
Heart rate is used in conjunction with other medical information to determine a person's health. It is taken every time a person visits the doctor, whether it is for a yearly physical, an illness or an injury. An abnormal heart rate can be a sign of a myriad of problems, including stress, diabetes and other diseases. Some people have an extra heartbeat, while others' hearts skip a beat.
Heartbeat Rate Measurement
Heart rate is measured in beats per minute, or bpm. It is calculated by counting the number of heartbeats for a period of 10 seconds and multiplying that number by 6. A person who counts 12 heartbeats during a 10-second period, for example, will multiply 12 by 6 to get 72 bpm.
Pulse Locations
Well-known areas to take a pulse are the wrist and the neck, although other pulse locations include the backs of the knees, groin, temple, the top of the foot or the inside of the ankle. An artery is located near the skin in these areas. The expansion and contraction of the artery with each heartbeat is what one feels while taking a pulse.
Abnormal Heartbeat Rate
Arrhythmias are abnormal heartbeat rates: bradycardia is a heartbeat rate that is too slow; tachycardia is a heartbeat rate that is too fast. Irregular heartbeat rates are also types of arrhythmias. These include heartbeat patterns that skip a beat or have an added beat. A sporadic, disorganized heartbeat is called a fibrillation.
