Pulse is the main indicator of the normal functioning of the heart. As a rule, at each doctor’s appointment, it is he who is checked first and, depending on the indicators, further treatment tactics are determined. The pulse is measured in a calm state; sometimes doctors ask the patient to assume a vertical body position for more accurate results.
There is an average heart rate for adults - 60-90 beats per minute. Of course, you need to take into account that during the day it becomes more or less, depending on physical activity, nervous tension and general health. This increase in heart rate is considered normal if it is not permanent. What does the indicator 120 strikes mean and what to do about it, we’ll figure it out in this article.
What do these indicators mean?
Usually nothing specific. It is possible to state a fact: heart rate acceleration. The pathological process is almost never primary.
It may be due to the onset of the disease or natural factors. If some third-party diagnosis is to blame, there are plenty of options. Not always cardiac abnormalities. Neurogenic processes and gland dysfunction are possible.
You need to figure it out together with your doctor. You should start with a cardiologist, then involve other specialists as necessary.
Sinus tachycardia, for which typical values are 100-130 maximum, is relatively difficult to tolerate, but the danger to life in the early stages is minimal.
In some cases, it is impossible to determine the cause of the condition even after a thorough examination. Then they talk about the idiopathic form of the increase in the indicator.
Causes of elevated heart rate at rest
Development factors can be both cardiac and non-cardiac.
Problems with the muscle organ
- Arterial hypertension. Both symptomatic, caused, for example, by renal pathologies, and the disease itself, dysregulation of blood vessels and other varieties.
The essence is the same. The patient's blood pressure is steadily rising. Up to what numbers depends on a lot of factors. Including gender, age, condition of blood supply structures, duration of the process. Stages 2-3 lead to a stable increase in the pulse rate.
Recovery appears extremely difficult. Over time, the patient ceases to feel the negative effects of blood pressure at peak levels. The symptoms fade and the person gets used to the abnormal condition.
At the same time, a pulse of 120 beats per minute is not directly related to blood pressure. We are talking about indirect factors. The same etiological moment causes an increase in two vital indicators.
- Myocarditis. Inflammation of the muscle layer of the heart. It is she who is responsible for the functional state of the organ. It occurs relatively rarely, as a complication of third-party pathologies, such as rheumatism. Then we are talking about an autoimmune form or infectious conditions, respectively, we talk about viral, bacterial, fungal types.
Tachycardia accompanies the patient constantly, does not recede for a second, even at night. A resting pulse of 120 or more is a hallmark of myocarditis.
Recovery is carried out urgently in a hospital. Duration from several days to a week. Antibacterial therapy is used, and suppressors may be prescribed.
- Pericarditis. Or inflammation of the pericardial sac. There is a danger due to the likelihood of complications. Which ones? Tamponade as the main threat. This is compression of the muscular organ itself by accumulated effusion.
Urgent surgical intervention is required. Medication is indicated in the early stages, if there are no consequences yet.
- Heart defects. Congenital and acquired. They are found relatively rarely, especially if the state of health does not cause subjective concern. Many processes proceed gradually, for years, without pronounced symptoms from the body. Sometimes the diagnosis is made based on the results of the autopsy.
Tachycardia is a relatively rare occurrence in patients with anatomical defects. Recovery is possible, but at the right time. If you are late there will be nothing to help.
The main treatment is surgical. Contraction frequency is adjusted medically, after the fact, as a secondary measure.
- Atherosclerosis. Conditionally it can be classified as a cardiac pathology. In this case, the coronary arteries and aorta are affected.
Damage to the vessels supplying the myocardium can lead to a heart attack or an acute attack of angina with a heart rate of 120-140 beats per minute. Both options are dangerous. Accompanied by a persistent acceleration of the rhythm.
Another option results in left ventricular dilatation, aortic valve stenosis and decreased overall hemodynamics. Tachycardia occurs regularly, but does not last constantly.
Extracardiac pathologies
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Gives pronounced disturbances in pulmonary activity. First, the right ventricle suffers, then the entire muscular organ.
Bronchial asthma gives the same symptoms. Especially at the advanced stage of the condition. Recovery requires a lot of ingenuity, since the drugs themselves can provoke an increase in heart rate. This is true for glucocorticoids and bronchodilators, as well as other medications.
The difficulties are obvious, given the duration of therapy - a lifetime, it is necessary to select the optimal regimen. Relatively safe.
- Anemia. Usually iron deficiency. As a result of an insufficient amount of the element in the body, hemoglobin deficiency occurs. Stable anemia and tissue hypoxia occur.
The condition is relatively easy to treat. On the one hand, the root cause is eliminated. This includes constant minor bleeding or nutritional deficiency.
On the other hand, the infusion of iron supplements in a adjusted dosage is indicated. Which one you need to look at based on the severity of the condition.
- Hyperthyroidism. Or a disruption of the normal production of thyroid hormones. Recovery under the supervision of a specialized specialist. The causes of the condition are multiple: tumors, inflammation of an infectious or autoimmune nature, and other issues are possible.
Hormone replacement therapy is required. The duration is relatively short. In case of functional impairment, treatment is limited to this. There is no point in doing anything yet.
Tachycardia resolves on its own after removal of excess thyroid-specific substances.
- Infectious and inflammatory diseases. From colds, ARVI to tuberculosis and other dangerous conditions. A heartbeat of 120 beats per minute is the result of intoxication with waste products of the bacterial flora and excessive stimulation of the heart itself.
The main method for eliminating the pathological condition is to carry out specialized measures to evacuate harmful substances from the bloodstream.
It is most effective to take action in a hospital. If the disease is mild, the deviation goes away on its own.
- Cachexia. It is caused by nutritional disorders for objective reasons (inability to take care of oneself at home, inadequacy), or subjective factors. For example, with a complex known as dysmorphophobia - dissatisfaction with one’s own body. Both options are dangerous.
The first can potentially be stopped by the introduction of nutrient solutions. The second requires long-term work with a psychotherapist. Depletion leads to a stable utilization of one's own resources.
First, fat comes into play, then muscle. The body doesn't last long. The heart begins to fail, it lacks nutrition.
- Disorders of the nervous regulation of the cardiovascular system. Development options are different. From osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernias, to vertebrobasilar incompetence, tumors of cerebral structures and other issues.
Typically, sinus tachycardia with a pulse of 120-128 in a calm state lasts relatively short time. The episode lasts for about half an hour. Rarely more.
Subjective factors
A heart rate of 125-127 beats per minute develops as a result of cardiac and non-cardiac causes. But sometimes the factors are subjective, the patient is able to correct them himself.
- Smoking. Secondary atherosclerosis occurs. It is caused by vasoconstriction as a result of prolonged consumption of nicotine. Pathological changes begin almost from the first cigarette. For some, progression occurs rapidly, for others it takes much longer, over the course of years. Alcohol habit. Alcohol has no beneficial effect on a person's life. Consuming ethanol is a destructive habit. All myths about benefits are nothing more than lies and misconceptions.
- Obesity. Body weight does not play a primary role. Overweight patients suffer from lipid metabolism disorders. The metabolic factor cannot be completely corrected. It is partly due to unfavorable genetics. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider your diet. Pills alone won't help matters.
- Constant consumption of coffee and tea, energy drinks. These are psychoactive, although to a minimal extent, products. They tone blood vessels and cause stable stenosis (narrowing) of blood supply structures. They also do not provide any benefits to the body.
- Constant use of diuretics. Young women are guilty of this habit. This is extremely dangerous. Indeed, with the release of excess fluid, a kilogram or two is eliminated. But diuretics are not harmless drugs. In the short term they are planting buds. Recovery is almost impossible. It will only get worse. The only solution will be transplantation. The likelihood of successful treatment is slim.
- Age. The older the patient, the higher the risk of developing stable tachycardia against the background of banal wear and tear of cardiac structures. It is necessary to treat the underlying disease that led to pathological changes.
The reasons are considered in the system and eliminated gradually. In the absence of evidence for organic phenomena, they speak of an idiopathic or natural form.
In the end, an acceleration of the pulse to 120 beats or even more is possible due to stress, emotional, and physical stress. All known factors are taken into account.
Causes and consequences of rapid heartbeat
A person may faint if this condition develops suddenly.
If a high pulse is not stopped in a timely manner, this is fraught with many complications. A sudden tachycardia can lead to loss of consciousness, and without timely assistance, death. With rapid and irregular contractions of the heart, blood clots form in its cavities. If the functioning of the heart muscle is not normalized, cerebral thromboembolism is possible, resulting in a stroke.
Particular attention should be paid if a rapid pulse is accompanied by other symptoms. The presence of at least one of them is a reason to seriously think about your own health. If two or three pathological signs are detected, you must immediately consult a cardiologist. Prognostic unfavorable symptoms include:
- dizziness;
- dyspnea;
- squeezing pain in the region of the heart;
- nausea;
- sudden weakness;
- cold sweat with chills.
The state of a systematically increased heart rate at rest, up to 100 beats or more, is called tachycardia.
Heart rate, measured per minute, changes under the influence of:
- physical activity;
- overeating;
- fear, stress;
- drinking strong coffee, tea or alcohol;
- smoking and other bad habits;
- medication use;
- overwork;
- elevated temperature due to viral diseases.
If the heart rate measured per minute increases due to the above reasons, the change will be temporary. There is no need to do anything about this condition. If you ensure absolute rest, your heart rate will return to normal pretty soon.
What does a heart rate of 120 beats per minute indicate? Typically, the beats per minute increase after physical activity or a stressful situation. However, a rapid pulse can also indicate the presence of certain diseases, so you should monitor your pulse at any age and if it increases, consult a doctor immediately.
A rapid pulse provokes heart rhythm disturbances. In medical practice, this condition is called tachycardia. Many are convinced that tachycardia occurs with increased cardiac pressure. However, this statement is incorrect. An abnormal heart rhythm can also occur with normal heart pressure readings.
Tachycardia is classified into types: The difference between them is that physiological tachycardia lasts 15-20 minutes less. The pulse quickens as a result of physical activity, anxiety or stress. Gradually, the heart rate returns to normal. Physiological tachycardia can be observed in absolutely any person, including people who play sports professionally.
The pulse rate can increase to 120-160 beats per minute. Pathological tachycardia is a longer-term condition. The pulse rate does not depend on external stimuli. In this case, the causative factor may be heart or lung disease, a malfunction of the endocrine system, intoxication, purulent or infectious diseases.
Increased blood pulsation can occur with increased cardiac pressure and high body temperature. Inflammatory processes can provoke heart rhythm disturbances. A pulse of 120 beats per minute can be observed during intoxication caused by drugs. Hallucinogens, antidepressants, diuretics, antiarrhythmic drugs, cardiac glycosides, and vasoconstrictor drugs can cause rapid blood pulsation.
A high pulse with normal heart pressure may indicate purulent, infectious and inflammatory diseases, as well as pathologies of internal organs. A person’s pulse may increase when staying in a stuffy room or being in the mountains. People with lung diseases are at particular risk.
An abnormal heart rhythm indicates an exacerbation of the pathology. The most common pathology is emphysema. In this case, the lung tissue loses its elasticity. Such changes lead to disruption of the blood pumping process, which leads to a high pulse. Disruption of the functioning of the endocrine system, namely the production of certain groups of hormones, can also lead to an increase in pulse rate.
An overactive thyroid gland also negatively affects your heart rate. With this condition, the patient experiences insomnia. If you have more severe diseases, your health may deteriorate sharply. Pathological tachycardia can be caused by heart disease. Small irregularities in the upper chamber of the heart can cause rapid blood pulsation. As a result of this damage, the heart muscles are weakened.
Each age has a medical indicator of the normal pulse rate (Table 1). For example, in infants it is 130 beats, in children – 80, in middle-aged people – 60-90, and in the elderly – 65. You also need to take into account the time of day when the indicators are measured. So, in the morning hours, after the body awakens, heart rate the muscle works with a frequency of 50-60 beats, during the day a healthy person has normal values, but in the evening the heart increases its rhythm and the value is fixed at 90. Table 1 - Age norms of heart rate
If the patient’s heart rate is constantly within 100, we can talk about tachycardia, that is, a significantly increased heart rate compared to normal values. This is a disease that is diagnosed when the cardiovascular system is not functioning properly. In such patients, the heart muscle, under the influence of physiological or pathological factors, cannot cope with pushing blood into the arteries.
Most often, an increase in heart rate is associated with an increase in blood pressure due to the influence of external factors or due to internal pathologies. But there are cases when the pressure remains within normal limits, but the pulse value goes off scale. This is a sign of serious disorders in the body, which, if not noticed in time and treatment is not prescribed, will lead to wear and tear of the heart muscle, heart attack, heart failure, or even lethal outcome.
Pulse 120 can be diagnosed for the following reasons:
- alcohol and tobacco consumption;
- binge eating;
- increased air temperature, heat and stuffiness, under the influence of which shortness of breath occurs;
- feeling of fear;
- drinking coffee and tea containing caffeine;
- drug use;
- consumption of energy drinks.
If the indicator rises sharply to 127 beats or higher, you should try to lower it yourself using first aid methods. They will be discussed below. If it has been noticed that the tonometer constantly shows a pulse of 125 or higher, it is necessary to visit a doctor as soon as possible, undergo an examination and prescribe a course of treatment, since untimely therapy is fraught with negative consequences for the body, including disruption of the functioning of its main systems .
When walking
The heartbeat of a healthy person may increase, but also quickly return to normal. If we are talking about pathology, then the reasons for the increase in heart rate are the following:
- presence of bleeding;
- large blood loss;
- improper functioning of the adrenal glands, in which a large amount of a hormone that regulates the irritability of the nervous system is released into the blood;
- low hemoglobin content in the blood;
- hyperthermia;
- intoxication due to poisoning with narcotic or alcoholic substances;
- dehydration;
- infection and inflammatory processes;
- emphysema, when the tissues become less extensible.
Constantly rapid heartbeat can have serious consequences. If the problem is not detected in time, the brain, heart, kidneys and adrenal glands, blood vessels and eyes may be damaged. This condition causes memory impairment and is fraught with Alzheimer's disease, heart attack, stroke and death.
If the heart rate increases to such a value, it is recommended to find an opportunity and register an ECG. The norm, and only under certain conditions, will be sinus tachycardia detected in this case.
In healthy people, sinus tachycardia up to 130 per minute can occur under the following conditions:
- physical activity - walking, light running;
- in untrained people, especially the elderly, such an increase in heart rate may be a sign of poor endurance, that is, low tolerance to physical activity; in this case, tachycardia occurs even when climbing 1–2 floors;
- An increase in heart rate is also caused by strong emotions; however, the heart rate rarely exceeds 110 - 120 per minute;
- Drinking large amounts of caffeine or energy drinks can also cause your heart rate to increase to these levels.
At rest, a pulse of 115–120 is normal in children 6 months old; in older children it is registered during crying and physical activity.
What can you do at home?
Not much. It is not clear what condition we are talking about. You need to carefully understand and then act. The main rule is to call an ambulance if tachycardia lasts more than 20 minutes.
Before the doctors arrive, the algorithm is as follows:
- Measure blood pressure, heart rate.
- Take a tablet of Anaprilin or half, if the heart rate is below 120, motherwort, valerian. You can drink 10-30 drops of Corvalol.
- Open a vent or window to ensure adequate ventilation.
- Relax, calm down. At the moment of tachycardia, panic and fear may develop. You need to pull yourself together.
- Sit down, lower all limbs.
- Breathe normally, there is no need to control the process.
Attention:
Taking other drugs is strictly prohibited. You cannot sit in the bath, douse yourself with water, wash your face, eat, or exercise. When the doctors arrive, explain the situation briefly and to the point.
Why is a rapid heartbeat dangerous?
Tachycardia, when the pulse is above 100 beats per minute, may indicate pathology, illness or inflammatory processes in the body. Treatment in such a situation is necessary. Ignoring this pathology can impair cerebral circulation and become a harbinger of a stroke. Often, tachycardia contributes to the development of ventricular failure.
The reasons for an increase in heart rate may be different. Often, a high rhythm becomes not a problem, but a symptom of internal pathologies, indicating invasion, poisoning or inflammation. An increase in heart rate is provoked by overwork, lack of sleep, depression, fatigue, synthetic drugs and lack of vitamins.
By its nature, tachycardia has 2 different types. Below is a table describing them. Depending on the nature of the acceleration, the beats can become systemic. This situation (pulse - 120 beats per minute) can be provoked by hardening of the artery, constant stress, and impaired thyroid function.
When is urgent medical attention needed?
If the accelerated pulse does not go away within 10-30 minutes, you should contact a specialist. In addition to an increase in heart rate, other symptoms occur.
Which manifestations should cause concern in the patient:
- Chest pain. Usually pressing, burning. Low to medium intensity. Lasts from 2 to 30 minutes. If more, there is a risk of heart attack.
- Dyspnea. In a state of complete rest. It occurs as a result of gas exchange disturbances. Dysfunction of pulmonary structures is possible.
- Paleness of the skin.
- Cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle.
- Arrhythmias. Flow parallel to the acceleration of contraction frequency. This is fibrillation, extrasystole. Subjectively, they feel like missing beats, freezing in the chest.
- Cold sweat. Hyperhidrosis.
- Headache. Cephalgia.
- Vertigo. To the point that a person cannot navigate in space and is forced to take a lying position.
- Noise in ears.
- Fainting, syncope. May occur several times in one day. Poor prognostic sign.
- Feeling of fear, panic. Or complete indifference to everything happening around. Both options are dangerous and require correction.
Symptoms require qualified assessment by physicians. Better in stationary conditions. Without special techniques, superficial conclusions can be drawn.
If heart rate is 110 beats/min.
In an adult at rest, such an increase in the number of heart beats measured per minute is often accompanied by a general deterioration in well-being. Nausea bothers me, my head begins to spin and my ears begin to ring.
It is definitely worth paying attention to changes in the number of heart beats at rest if the reason for its increase is not the above reasons associated with physiological processes. If nothing is done in a timely manner, this condition can lead to a stroke. If your heart rate is constantly elevated, measured per minute at rest, you should visit a specialist who will tell you what to do in such a situation.
Tests needed to identify the root cause
Under the supervision of a cardiologist. The approximate list of events is quite wide:
- Oral questioning of the patient and collection of anamnesis. Aimed at objectifying symptoms and identifying the clinical picture.
- Next, measure blood pressure and heart rate. Statement of the fact of deviation from the norm.
- 24-hour Holter monitoring. Registration of the same indicators for 24 hours. Makes it possible to assess the situation in dynamics, in natural conditions for the patient.
- Electrocardiography. Shows the functional state of the cardiovascular system. Can be prescribed after exercise (bicycle ergometry).
- Echocardiography. Ultrasound technique for tissue visualization. All defects become clearly visible.
If necessary, cardiac tomography and coronography are indicated. It is possible to prescribe vascular Doppler ultrasound (USDG).
A cardiologist does not always cope alone. When the origin of the pathological process is complex, third-party doctors are involved. It is possible to convene a whole council, based on the complexity of the case.
What treatment will be required
It is carried out using medicinal methods. Surgical methods of therapy are relatively rarely used. An approximate scheme for the use of drugs:
- Cardiac glycosides. To correct myocardial contractility. Digoxin or lily of the valley tincture. In extremely limited quantities, minimal dosages.
- Beta blockers. Metoprolol or Carvedilol according to indications.
- Antiarrhythmic. Also in small courses, only if there are significant deviations from the norm. Amiodarone as the main name.
- Antihypertensive. Used against the background of a current stable increase in blood pressure.
- Sedatives and tranquilizers. In the acute period to bring the emotional and mental state back to normal.
Surgical treatment is carried out if there are indications: heart defects, advanced atherosclerosis and others. Prosthetics, vasodilation by stenting, and elimination of cholesterol plaques are indicated.
It is possible to install a pacemaker and cauterize foci of pathological activity with radio waves (ablation).
Changing your lifestyle involves giving up smoking, alcohol, and adjusting your diet (treatment table No. 10 and its variations). Minimizing physical activity. Salt no more than 7 grams.
The use of traditional methods of treatment is a very controversial decision. With unproven effectiveness, they carry high risks. Even with pharmaceutical activity, precise dosage selection is required. Dangerous complications are possible.
