What is a Dangerous Heart Rate?

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What is a Dangerous Heart Rate?

Jaymala

Jaymala

Updated on June 25, 2024

Medically verified by Dr. Arya

Fact checked by Sreemoyee

What is a Dangerous Heart Rate

Cardiology

10 min read

Heart rate is the number of times the heart beats per minute. It is very important to indicate your cardiovascular health.

A dangerous heart rate can vary depending on the individual’s medical conditions, age and fitness level.

Are you looking for some information on dangerous heart rate? Then this blog will be very useful for you.

Karetrip is here for you to provide you the required information about dangerous heart rate so that you may plan your treatment accordingly.

Normal Resting Heart Rate

A normal heart rate for most of the adults is from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Athletes may have resting heart rates lower than 60 bpm.

Some of the factors which affect the resting heart rate are as follows:

  • Athletes and highly fit individuals usually have lower resting heart rates, sometimes as low as 40-60 bpm.
  • Resting heart rate generally increases with age.
  • On average, females tend to have slightly higher resting heart rates than males.
  • High temperature can increase heart rate.
  • Stress, anxiety, and relaxation can influence heart rate.

Tachycardia: High Heart Rate

Tachycardia is an abnormally high heart rate, typically defined as a resting heart rate exceeding 100 beats per minute (bpm).

It is caused by the following causes:

  • Temporary increase in heart rate during exercise or physical activity.
  • Emotional stress or anxiety can trigger a rapid heart rate.
  • Elevated body temperature can increase heart rate.
  • Certain medications, including stimulants and some asthma treatments, can cause tachycardia.
  • Conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and heart valve disorders.
  • Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can elevate heart rate.

Bradycardia: Low Heart Rate

Bradycardia is an abnormally low heart rate, typically defined as a resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute (bpm).

There are various causes of bradycardia as follows:

  • Natural degeneration of the heart’s electrical system.
  • From heart disease, heart attack, or infections like myocarditis.
  • Structural issues present from birth.
  • Underactive thyroid gland.
  • Such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and certain antiarrhythmic drugs.
  • Repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep.
  • Abnormal levels of potassium or calcium.

Dangerously High Heart Rate During Exercise

A high heart rate is very normal while doing physical activity, when it exceeds safe limits, it can lead to various risks. A 30-year-old person would have an estimated MHR of 190 beats per minute (bpm).

For a 30-year-old Moderate Intensity is 95-133 bpm and Vigorous Intensity is 133-162 bpm

Maximum Heart Rate

Maximum heart rate (MHR) is the highest number of beats per minute (bpm) your heart can achieve during maximum physical exertion. Knowing your MHR can help you exercise safely and effectively, ensuring you stay within a safe range while optimizing your workout intensity.

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When to Seek Medical Attention

If you experience a heart rate exceeding 180 bpm at rest, this can be a sign of a serious problem. A heart rate lower than 40 bpm also can indicate a severe condition.

Symptoms may be a Chest pain, Shortness of breath, Fainting, or Palpitations, and it may be a serious issue.

Monitoring and Managing Heart Rate

For most adults, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 bpm. Athletes and highly fit individuals may have a lower RHR. You can use heart rate monitors or manually check your pulse to ensure you're within your target heart rate zone. For moderate intensity it is 50-70% of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). For Vigorous Intensity it is 70-85% of MHR

You should measure your heart rate immediately after exercise and again two minutes later. Too much drop indicates good cardiovascular fitness. Specialized HRV monitors are used to monitor it.

Heart rate can be managed by the following a healthy lifestyle as follows:

  • Activities like cycling, and swimming help improve cardiovascular fitness and can lower resting heart rate over time.
  • Ensure you take a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
  • Staying hydrated helps maintain normal heart function.
  • Practices such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises can help lower heart rate.
  • Make sure you take around 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
  • Limit alcohol consumption.

Medical Interventions

When lifestyle modifications are not enough to manage the normal heart rate, then medical interference may be required.

Following medications may be used:

  • Beta-Blockers reduce heart rate and blood pressure by blocking the effects of adrenaline.
  • Calcium Channel Blockers relax blood vessels and reduce heart rate by blocking calcium entry into heart and vessel walls.
  • Antiarrhythmic Drugs restore normal heart rhythm and rate.
  • Digoxin increases the force of heart contractions and slows heart rate.
Key Takeaways

A resting heart rate over 100 beats per minute (bpm) for adults is generally considered too high.

A resting heart rate under 60 bpm for adults is considered too low, although this may be normal for well-trained athletes.

Fatigue, dizziness, fainting, confusion, shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of a heart issue.

Exercise heart rate should stay within 50-85% of MHR. Exceeding this range can pose risks, especially if sustained or accompanied by symptoms.

For heart rates above 180 bpm or below 40 bpm at rest, especially if accompanied by severe symptoms like chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting, or confusion.

Use heart rate monitors during and after exercise to ensure you're within target zones and recovering properly.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is used to indicate cardiovascular health and stress level.

Regular exercise, staying active, and a healthy balanced diet can help manage this condition.

Various medications and devices may be used to manage it, if not resolved naturally.

Some medications and conditions like hyperthyroidism or cardiovascular diseases can influence heart rate.

Heat, humidity, and altitude can also affect heart rate.

Source Links

Karetrip sources its information according to strict guidelines, consulting scholarly research centres, peer-reviewed periodicals, societies for medical professionals, and publications certifying medical tourism. No tertiary references are used by us. Please refer to our editorial policy. to learn how we maintain the accuracy and timeliness of our material.

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