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Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
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Busting Myths About Blood Pressure And Heart Rate!

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Dr. Viveka KumarCardiologist • 35 Years Exp.DM - Cardiology -, MD - General Medicine - , MBBS, FSCAI, MHRS, FACC, FESC , Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology & EP, Interventional Cardiology & EP and Devices, Senior Specialist( Interventional Cardiology), Fellow of southeast Asian Interventional Cardiology Society, International Award of Excellence in Cardiology
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It is natural to consider whether your heart is beating right and your blood pressure is normal. Also, many tend to think that the blood pressure and heart rate are related to each other. Admit it or not, you must have heard a lot about your heart rate and blood pressure, some of which are outright false. This is the time to debunk them and know what actually the reality is.

Myth #1: Having an erratic heart rate indicates that you will have a heart attack soon
When the heart beats at an abnormal rate, it means you have a condition called palpitation. It may give you feeling as if you have skipped a beat or your heart is racing up. You may also experience a brief flutter or pounding feeling in the chest. The good news is that these sensations are not life-threatening and are generally caused by caffeine, alcohol, medication, stress or exercise.

Myth#2: When the pulse rate is fast, it means you are overstressed
Stress is a condition which may raise the pulse rate. But your heart rate can rise when you feel excited or feel anxious or exercise hard. Even high temperature and high humidity can raise your pulse.

Myth #3: Normal heart rate denotes normal blood pressure
At times, blood pressure and heart rate go hand in hand. For instance, when you feel angry or scared or exercise hard, both of them can go up. But you should note here that they are not always linked. Even if the heart rate is normal, your blood pressure may not be so. It could be too high or too low, but you wouldn’t be able to understand it.

Myth #4: Blood pressure and heart rate are same things
It is important to understand the difference between pulse rate and heart rate. Blood pressure is the term denoting the force of blood moving through the blood vessel. On the other hand, heart rate is the number of times the heart beats in a minute. They are two absolutely separate indicators of health. This means if you have high blood pressure or hypertension, there is no substitute for measuring blood pressure.

Myth #5: Heart rate and blood pressure rise and fall at the same rate
As indicated above, a rising heart rate may not be able to cause the blood pressure to surge at the same rate. Even though the heart is beating more than normal, the healthy blood vessels may dilate to allow easy blood flow. When we exercise, the heart speeds up in order to pump an adequate amount of the blood to the muscles. It could be that your heart rate is doubled, but it is safe since your blood pressure has increased only at a modest rate. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

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