What is Human Pulse – Part 1
The phenomenon of contraction and expansion of heart sends the blood to and draws from the blood vessels. This action of the heart induces vibrations in the blood vessels that can be checked at various locations in the body. The term “pulse” generally refers to the vibrations in radial artery of the wrist and that is where it should be checked. It is perceptible to the touch and can be checked by human fingers or electronic instruments. At times it is strong enough to be visible without touch.
The advantage of checking the pulse at the wrist is that it can be compressed against the wrist bone with required pressure, which can be varied according to the depth of the pulse. Remember that it is not always found at the surface. Electronic instruments can detect and count the beats but are not designed to check the depth and length of the pulse, which are very important for diagnosis through pulse. It is not just the counting of the beats; it is much more than that. In fact count, location under the checking fingers, rhythm, strength, length, width and depth are all important for diagnosis and depend on many factors and conditions in the body.
The frequency of the pulse varies with age. It should be around 80 beats per minute in a healthy male adult and 5 to 10 beats more in females. In the children it is much faster at the time of birth (between 130 and 140 beats per minute), which reduces as they grow up. In some individuals it is found to be around 40 beats per minute without the symptoms of a disease but it indicates that there is something wrong somewhere and calls for detailed investigations. The frequency increases with the activity like physical exertion and/or mental, emotional excitement, while it reduces during sleep et cetera.
Significance of Pulse
Guidelines to check the Pulse