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How to Check Your Pulse

Checking your pulse allows you to determine your heart rate without any special equipment. This can be useful if you're trying to lose weight or you have a heart condition. Read on to find out how to easily and painlessly check your own pulse.

Steps

Use your fingers when finding a pulse. Don't use your thumb when finding it, as it has its own pulse. Find the radial pulse. This is also known as the pulse on the inside of the wrist. Use the pads of three fingers. Place these just below the wrist creases at the base of the thumb. Press lightly until you feel a pulse (blood pulsing under your fingers). If necessary, move fingers around until you find it.

Find the radial pulse.

An easier way to find your pulse is to use only two fingers, the index and your middle fingers. Again, never use your thumb, because your thumb also has a pulse in itself. Count your pulse for a complete minute (60 seconds.)

Turn your arm, so the palm of your hand is facing upwards, place the pad of the middle finger of your opposite hand on the small bony protrusion of the forearm bone (the radius), that you will feel on the outer aspect of the wrist, and press down lightly with the pads of both fingers, until you feel your pulse. Count your pulse for a full minute, or you may count it for 15 seconds and multiply that reading by 4 to get a full 60 second count.

If you are unable to feel it then, press a little harder while you rotate the wrist away from your body; until you "catch" the tips of your fingers in the little "groove" that you will feel, and then press downwards until you feel the pulse. --Krystalee 12:04, 22 May 2012 (UTC) Alternatively find the carotid pulse. Alternatively, to feel a pulse on the side of the neck, place two fingers, preferably your index and middle finger, in the hollow between the windpipe and the large muscle in the neck. Press lightly until you feel a pulse.
Alternatively find the carotid pulse.

Check and record the rate, strength and rhythm. Use a watch or clock with a second hand. Make a note of the rate of the pulse, which is the number of beats per minute. Check the strength of the pulse to see if it is strong or weak and if the rhythm is regular or irregular.

Check and record the rate, strength and rhythm.

If you don't have a watch or a clock around, the Cleveland Clinic Health System recommends counting the beats you feel for 15 seconds and multiplying this by four to get your heart rate per minute: Your pulse is _______________ (beats in 15 seconds) x 4 = [1] ________________(your pulse) You can count beats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.

Normal, Maximum And Target Heart Rates

Normal heart rate. This is your heart rate when you are at rest. For children under age 18, normal heart rate is 70-100 beats per minute. For adults, normal heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute.

Maximum heart rate. This is the highest your pulse rate can get. To find yours, follow this formula: 220-(your age)=(predicted maximum heart rate)

Target heart rate. This is 60 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This is usually accomplished through exercise.

What To Do If You Can't Find Your Pulse

Use your fingertips instead of having your fingers lay across your wrist. Put them in different places and stop in each location for five seconds.

Vary the pressure of the fingertips on your wrist. You may need to lighten up or press harder to feel your pulse.

Hold your arm pointing down towards the floor.

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