[Nursing School meets Steemit][Things that affect your pulse rate]Follow along and educate yourself with me.

intrepidthinker (69)in #nursing • 7 years ago (edited)

Pulse Rate:

Just like with any of the other vital signs, there are many different factors that affect your pulse rate. This is a continuation of information that I covered in my previous posts:

[Nursing School meets Steemit][Normal vital sign ranges for all ages]Follow along and educate yourself with me.
[Nursing School meets Steemit][Things that affect your body temperature]Follow along and educate yourself with me.

The Various Factors Affecting Pulse Rate:

Age -

As age increases from infancy to adulthood, the pulse rate decreases.

So, the younger you are the higher your expected pulse rate will be. Also, people who are very active, like athletes, tend to have a lower resting heart rate, and vise versa.

Gender:

After puberty, the average male pulse is lower than that of the average female.

It's pretty crazy how much men and women differ in physiological make-ups and responses to medications.

Fever -

Pulse increases with fever due to the increased metabolic rate and peripheral(extremities) vasodilation occurs.

Medications -

Various medications may increase or decrease the pulse rate.

Medications have to be taken into account when trying to establish a baseline reading.

Hypovolemia -

Loss of blood normally increases the pulse rate from sympathetic nervous system stimulation.

It seems like it would be the opposite effect, and it would decrease. But guess what, it's not. Lol

Hypoxia and Hypoxemia -

When oxygen levels decrease, cardiac output increases to attempt to compensate, resulting in an increased pulse rate.

Stress -

Sympathetic nervous system stimulation from stress (fear, anxiety, and the perception of pain) increases the pulse rate.

We've all experienced one of these, a time or two. Lol

Pathology -

Heart conditions or illnesses that impair oxygenation can alter the pulse rate as cardiac output attempts to compensate for low oxygen levels. Head injuries can cause a drop in pulse rate to compensate for increased intracranial pressure.

See this is what I mean, your vitals being out of a normal range can be tons of things. A lower pulse rate than what is normal, could be something as extreme as a severe head injury.

Electrolyte Balance -

Changes in Potassium and Calcium affect pulse rate and rhythm.

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Thanks for reading another one of my posts. I hope you are keeping up with all of my medical posts and learning some stuff. These post will help you understand your body better, so tune in!

Follow me @intrepidthinker for more.

Here are some of my other recent medical posts:

[Nursing School meets Steemit][Things that affect your body temperature]Follow along and educate yourself with me.