fast resting heart rate --anyone else?

lauracasparlabonte
lauracasparlabonte Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
Haven't been around this board for awhile...sorry. I need some reassurance or advice...the past couple days I've been worried about my resting heart rate. I've had a fast pulse as long as I can remember. I attributed it smoking and being sedentary. Well, I've been running consistently for almost six months, and I quit smoking on Christmas. Everything I've read said both exercising and of course not smoking lowers your heart rate. And mine is not getting much lower.

Whenever I take my blood pressure on the machines at the drug store, my BP is low to normal and my pulse is anywhere from 82-100. I started trying to take my pulse myself and it is usually in the 80s. When I wake up, when I am still in bed, I have a hard time finding my pulse, and that's supposed to be the best time to measure it. I am going to the doctor on Tuesday to see what he thinks, but I am almost positive he will just brush it off, saying it is my anxiety. He says that for just about everything I ask him about.

I am just worried because I am training for a half and really hope nothing is wrong with my heart. I am 41. I don't have any other symptoms like chest pain or major shortness of breath. Oh and my husband won't let me get a heart rate monitor because he thinks I am obsessive. Does anyone else have issues with their heart rate being high?

Replies

  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    I would be concerned. talk to your doctor. Your husband is wrong, its not obsessive to worry about your heart.

    edited to add that I am 40 and also training for a half. My resting HR is 50something
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Resting HR is supposed to be taken first thing in the morning before you move. Taking it the way you did is not an accurate reading of resting HR. I am pretty sure that is around normal.


    ETA - from Mayo Clinic

    A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute….
    Although there's a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low heart rate may indicate an underlying problem. Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/expert-answers/heart-rate/faq-20057979
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,995 Member
    I keep tabs on my heart rate with a free phone app called azumio. You put your finger on the camera lens, and it detects your heart rate by minute changes of color in your finger tip. It seems to work quite well, because the reading matches my Polar HRM. It does take a little practice to use (how to position finger on the lens so that it is entirely covered, how hard to press).

    You might want to record your resting heart rate at a few times throughout the day so you can show your doctor the stats.

    I got seriously ill with viral pneumonia in 2011, and when I got out of hospital was shocked that my resting heart rate was 100. My GP wasn't concerned about it. Given that I do 65 minutes of vigorous cardio 6 days a week, it is still pretty high. Mostly it is in the mid sixties, but can be anywhere between 57 and 100.
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    I think the best thing for you to do is to find a doctor whose expertise you truly trust and go from there.
  • lauracasparlabonte
    lauracasparlabonte Posts: 4
    thanks everyone who replied....I am going to see my GP on Tuesday to see what he has to say. If he brushes me off I may have to go elsewhere.

    Just wondering if anyone else had a RHR that was not the typical ones people have as a runner 50s or low 60s, and if they had checked out as being healthy with their doctor?

    thanks
  • MeganAnne89
    MeganAnne89 Posts: 271 Member
    Resting HR is supposed to be taken first thing in the morning before you move. Taking it the way you did is not an accurate reading of resting HR. I am pretty sure that is around normal.


    ETA - from Mayo Clinic

    A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute….
    Although there's a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low heart rate may indicate an underlying problem. Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/expert-answers/heart-rate/faq-20057979

    Yes to this comment.

    It's always good to be sure, however, if you are worried about anything, to go see a doctor about it. At the very least, it will make you feel better about it and stop worrying because when you worry, your heart will beat even faster because of the nerves.

    Just for your information though, my resting heart rate is around 90. That's partially due to my asthma, however, and because a long time ago a specialist discovered that while I have the right number of red blood cells, they're smaller than the average persons which means they transport less oxygen throughout my body than the person standing next to me. So my heart rate is something that I'm not concerned about -- especially because whenever I see my doctor, they leave the room and the machine tests my blood pressure 6 times and gets a median that they jot down and no one has ever been concerned for me.
  • Lauren8239
    Lauren8239 Posts: 1,039 Member
    Get checked out just in case. I've had a high heart rate, average is 110-120, ever since I was a kid. Heart checks out fine. When I was pregnant they had a hard time figuring out which heart rate was the baby's lol. :laugh:
  • Jaslene181
    Jaslene181 Posts: 5
    I had a very interesting situation once, through all my life I"ve never had any problems with the heart rate and one day I noticed that my HRM showed that my heart was beating like crazy, since I hadn't done any exercises before that just had walked along the street with my dog I was really worried and even thought the results were not correct, as it trurned out later the heart rate was influenced by the eye drops I had taken, that was just unusual side effect
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
    I think that's normal, but you're going to the doc anyway- they'd be the best person to ask. Bring it up during your appointment.

    Better safe than sorry!

    ETA: Great job on quitting smoking and improving your health :)

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