Difference Between Heart Rate and Pulse Rate
Heart rate and pulse rate have differences in their definitions as well as methods of measurement. Heart rate is the number of times a heart beats per minute, while pulse rate is the number of pulse waves felt in the arteries as the heart pumps blood. The two terms are often used together but are not always equal. A definition of pulse rate is the pulsatory throb of the arteries due to the heartbeat that can be felt at various points within the body. This distinction of pulse rate versus heart rate helps to understand the circulation system better, with both contributing to assessing cardiovascular health. This is an important topic from the Body Fluids And Circulation Chapter of Biology.
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What are Heart Rate and Pulse Rate?
Precisely, pulse is defined as the number of contractions every one minute and denotes the capacity and work rate of the heart. Pulse rate, on the other hand, is the number of times the arteries swell due to contraction of the heart per unit time, usually checked by restraining pulse points such as the wrist or neck. In most cases, the heart rate is equivalent to the pulse rate.
However, there may be differences due to the existence of an irregular pulse or any circulation problem. This distinction is significant to achieve accurate health assessment and differential diagnosis of medical conditions because it determines potential heart and vascular issues including arrhythmias and circulation disorders that require timely intervention and management of conditions that are relevant to heart and vascular structures.
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Comparison Between Heart Rate And Pulse Rate
Aspect | Heart Rate | Pulse Rate |
Definition | Number of heartbeats per minute | Number of pulse beats felt at arterial points per minute |
Source of Measurement | Directly measured from the heart (via electrocardiogram) | Measured at pulse points (e.g., wrist, neck) reflecting arterial expansion and contraction |
Normal Range | 60-100 beats per minute | Typically matches heart rate under normal conditions |
Variability | Can be influenced by physical activity, stress, and health conditions | Can show variations due to peripheral vascular conditions or irregular heart rhythms |
Relevance to Health | Indicates overall heart function and efficiency | Provides information on how well blood is being circulated through the arteries |
Situational Variations | May not show irregularities if the heart rhythm is abnormal | Can differ from heart rate in cases of arrhythmias or vascular issues |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The main distinction is that the heart rate provides the number of beats per minute while the Pulse rate provides the number of felt beats per minute in specific pulse points, for instance on the wrist or neck, which shows the rhythm of expansion and contraction of arteries.
Disparities between heart and pulse can arise from irregularity in the heart rhythm or arrhythmias, an issue in peripheral vessels, or a condition whereby blood flow differs from the norm thus leading to a different pulse rating from heart rate.
Normal resting heart rate and pulse rate are normally in the range of 60- 100 beats per minute. But as it is with many other aspects of human health, pulse rate is relative to factors including physical activities, stress and the like.
Exercise: Thus, to monitor your heart rate, you can use: a heart rate monitor, a smartwatch or manually count your pulse. For this, you can use your hand fingers on your wrist or neck, count for 60 seconds and record the number of beats.
Causes of variation in the number of heartbeats per minute include; physical activity, stress, state of mind, fever, incidences of medication, degree of hydration and other forms of cardiovascular diseases. These rates may also be affected by the presence of usual cardiovascular diseases that include arrhythmias or blood vessel abnormalities.
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