Pulse rate is an important indicator that can tell a lot about a person’s health and condition. If even at rest the heart beats very quickly, it means that it is trying to “tell” about some problems in the body.
In general, the lower your heart rate, the better your health. This means that the heart contracts normally and pumps out enough blood to supply all organs. And if the pulse is too fast, it means that the heart is not doing its job very well and is trying to compensate for this. The normal heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 per minute. It is more common in children - there are different norms for each age group.
What does heart rate depend on and how to measure it correctly
The heart of a healthy person works like a clock, but, unlike the movement of the second hand, the frequency of its contractions either slows down or speeds up. This is influenced by many factors:
- physical exercise;
- Body temperature;
- stress, intense joy, excitement;
- dehydration;
- drinking drinks that contain alcohol and caffeine;
- smoking;
- taking certain medications.
So how do you know what your “real” heart rate is?
To do this, you need to measure it at rest, and before doing so, do not take alcohol, caffeine, take any medications, or smoke. The best time is immediately after waking up, while you are still in bed. It is most convenient to feel the pulse on the radial artery. Place your thumb on the inside of your wrist and your index finger on the outside of your wrist, under your thumb. To accurately determine your pulse, you need to use a stopwatch. You may come across recommendations that require taking measurements for 15 or 30 seconds, and then multiplying by four or two, respectively. But it’s better to spend a minute - it will be more accurate.
It is also important to remember that each person’s heart rate is individual, and it is also influenced by body size and age. Also, heart rates tend to be low in well-trained athletes.
Symptoms of a mental disorder
The World Health Organization divides the symptoms of mental disorders in humans into 4 main groups:
- Sensory-perceptual symptoms in which a person has a distortion of reality and can hear, feel or see things that others cannot sense.
- A common neurological symptom is cognitive impairment. The patient is increasingly experiencing a disorder of clear speech, memory lapses occur, and pathological beliefs about an event are established.
- Symptoms of a behavioral nature, when the patient may show unreasonable aggression towards relatives or stop performing daily functions.
- Emotional disorders most often occur as the main symptom; the patient may constantly feel a feeling of fear or sadness.
In what cases should you consult a doctor?
The pulse rate can change in various diseases and pathological conditions:
- respiratory infections, such as pneumonia;
- in general, various infectious diseases that are accompanied by a strong increase in body temperature and dehydration;
- anemia – a decrease in the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood;
- hypotension – decreased blood pressure;
- diseases of the thyroid gland, which are accompanied by an increase in the level of its hormones - hyperthyroidism;
- cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmias - heart rhythm disturbances.
In medicine, an increase in heart rate above normal is called tachycardia
. And this is a dangerous condition that you should not try to cope with on your own. If your heart rate constantly exceeds 100 beats per minute at rest, this is definitely a reason to consult a doctor who will prescribe the necessary treatment. Especially if you often feel tired or dizzy. Such symptoms cannot be joked about, because over time, more serious disorders of the cardiovascular system may occur, and there is a risk of thrombosis or even sudden death.
Too low a pulse is also not very good. If your heart rate is consistently less than 60 beats per minute, visit your doctor. This condition may be accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness and shortness of breath.
Signs of a mental disorder
Every second person with a mental disorder, starting from the early stages of the disease, experiences characteristic symptoms. They can appear with different intensities and frequency, but they are easy to notice with constant observation of a person. If one of the signs appears, you cannot leave it unnoticed and you should seek professional help.
Signs of a mental disorder most often go beyond certain cultural norms or beliefs in modern society. It is customary to identify the main signs of the course of the disease, which are most common among people with this diagnosis - memory impairment and sound thinking, sudden changes in a person’s behavior and mood for no known reason.
How to lower your heart rate on your own?
So, if you are sure that you are completely healthy, do not need treatment, and want to reduce your heart rate, you can use these tips.
Avoid overheating
When a person is hot, his body must get rid of excess heat. One of the most effective mechanisms is sweating. The skin's sweat glands begin to work actively, and it requires more blood. At the same time, the body loses a lot of fluid. This creates additional stress on the heart, and it is forced to contract more often. This is a normal occurrence during visits to baths and saunas. The problem occurs when overheating becomes constant - for example, in the summer, or if you work in a room with high temperatures. In such cases, it is worth spending more time in the shade or under air conditioning. If that doesn't work, then at least drink more fluids.
Exercise regularly
Lowering your heart rate is just one benefit of regular exercise. They also help generally improve the condition of the cardiovascular system, normalize weight, ensure good health, and even reduce the risk of developing cancer.
And don’t be confused by the fact that the advice from this point seems illogical at first glance. Yes, when you exercise, your heart rate increases. This is a temporary effect. Over time, your heart becomes more trained and can pump blood more and more efficiently. This means he doesn't have to contract as often as before.
Eat more fish
Like physical activity, healthy eating is beneficial in many ways. Fish should be present in every person's diet at least once a week. One of the beneficial effects is a reduction in heart rate and the risk of death from coronary disease, myocardial infarction. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the American Heart Association based on the results of a study published in 2003.
If you do not like fish dishes, you can purchase some kind of dietary supplement with fish oil.
Protect yourself from stress
There are two parts of the autonomic nervous system in the human body. The parasympathetic department predominates in a state of rest - it reduces the frequency and strength of heart contractions. The sympathetic one is activated in a state of stress - it causes an effect that can be figuratively described as “fight or flight.”
Unlike primitive ancestors, the modern average person does not need to run away from anyone or fight with anyone. But stress levels are off the charts, especially in big cities. If you don’t see ways to protect yourself from stressors, you can start small:
- set aside some time every day to turn off your phone, computer, TV and other gadgets;
- practice meditation - just 15 minutes a day is enough to start.
Do breathing practices
The work of the heart and lungs is closely related. Deep, mindful breathing helps quickly reduce stress levels and “calm” the cardiovascular system. Inhale for five seconds and then exhale slowly for 15 seconds. It can be helpful to do a few of these inhalations and exhalations from time to time, especially when you are very nervous. You can also consider breathing practices that are used in yoga - pranayama.
Stop smoking
Smoking is most often talked about as the cause of lung cancer and other cancers. Many manufacturers of smokeless nicotine delivery devices play on this: advertising claims that they are supposedly almost safe. In fact, the main enemy of health is nicotine, and the main blow falls on the cardiovascular system.
After smoking a cigarette (or vaping, hookah, whatever), the lumen of the arteries and veins narrows. As a result, it becomes more difficult for the heart to push blood through, and it begins to contract more often. This happens even at rest.
The good news is that this effect is reversible, and quite quickly. While it takes several years to reduce the risk of developing lung cancer, the pulse returns to normal within 24 hours after the last cigarette smoked. In addition, this way you can lower your blood pressure. Further more: giving up a bad habit will lead to a significant improvement in your health and overall well-being.
Drink enough fluids
When the body loses a lot of fluid, the blood thickens and it becomes more difficult for the heart to pump it. The lack of effort is compensated by an increase in heart rate. Therefore, if you want to slow down your heart rate, you need to hydrate your body regularly. However, it is important not to overdo it, especially for people with high blood pressure, varicose veins and swelling in the legs and other cardiovascular diseases. Try to drink more fluids in the morning and reduce your intake in the evening.
It is important to remember two more recommendations:
- It is better to drink plain water, and certainly not drinks with sugar (sweet tea and sparkling water). Added sugars lead to extra pounds and additional stress on the heart.
- Avoid drinks with alcohol - it thickens the blood.
Limit your caffeine intake
Caffeine itself increases your heart rate. And even if this is a temporary effect, it will become permanent if you are a “coffee addict.” In addition, caffeine acts as a diuretic and promotes fluid loss - and we have already discussed the negative effects of dehydration above.
Maintain a normal weight
Extra pounds are additional fatty tissue through which blood also needs to be pumped, which increases the load on the heart. This effect is especially pronounced if the body has a lot of fat but little muscle mass. In addition, obese people often develop atherosclerosis, which is a difficulty in blood flow through narrowed vessels and increased blood pressure with all the ensuing consequences.
In fact, bringing your body weight back to normal is not that difficult. For most people, following two recommendations is enough:
- Eat right. And here we are not talking about strict, exhausting diets - they will only do harm. You just need to stick to a healthy diet that won't load your body with a lot of fat, fast carbohydrates and calories.
- Play sports. This will help you lose extra calories. After all, the human body was not designed by nature to constantly spend time in an office chair or on the couch in front of the TV. We are not adapted to this way of life.
Get a good night's sleep
A full night's sleep is not just rest. This is one of the important components of the biological clock built into the human body - circadian rhythms. When they are violated, all organs suffer. This occurs with chronic lack of sleep, irregular routine, and night shift work. And one of the negative effects is an increased load on the heart, a malfunction of the cardiovascular system. By the way, taking a nap during the day is also useful, but not for too long. Twenty minutes is enough.
Causes of mental disorders
Scientists have found that the reasons for changes in a person’s mental state can be external factors such as psychological or social. Biological factors include a genetic predisposition to constant depression or nervous breakdowns, especially if, while a person was growing up, there were complex relationships between parents that left a certain imprint on the child’s psyche.
The results of many years of research have shown that the causes of mental disorders most often come from the patient’s unfavorable childhood. Drugs and alcoholism, temporary restriction of a person’s freedom in a confined space, frequent depression, difficult life situations and incidents can also lead to the development of the disease.
Types of mental disorders
Currently, the most common diseases include some types of human mental disorders. These data can always be tracked in the reports of the World Health Organization, where schizophrenia is among the top five most common diseases among the entire world population. It can originate during early human development, but in the transition period its signs will begin to increase.
In second place in popularity are types of disorders associated with the abolition of dependence on psychotropic or narcotic substances, including alcohol. Depression, as a type of mental disorder, occurs in every fifth inhabitant of the planet and is accompanied by pessimistic views of life and an apathetic mood.
Psychological mental disorders
According to the International Classification of Diseases, psychological mental disorders belong to groups F10 – F19 and are associated with human behavior disorder due to excessive use of psychoactive substances.
Most often, this type of disorder occurs against the background of addiction to a certain type of psychotropic drug. A person is convinced on a subconscious level that it is psychotropic substances that give him a dose of pleasure and without them he cannot exist normally. Over time, addiction occurs, which cannot be eliminated without professional help and treatment.
Mental disorders in adolescents
One in six people affected by a mental disorder are in the 10-19 age group, one of the most difficult transition periods of adulthood. The main reason for the mental disorder of a teenager is the process of personality formation, which can be negatively influenced by the people around him, as well as a manic desire to try prohibitive drugs for the first time in his life.
Mental disorders in adolescents can only be treated in a comprehensive manner by professionals together with parents. During this period, it is important to create a safe atmosphere for the life of a teenager, to protect him from possible risks and negative factors from others.
Chronic mental disorder
In medicine, chronic disorders are usually understood as a condition of a sick person when it occurs over a long period of time and with characteristic attacks. Types of such disorders include paranoia, epilepsy, manic or depressive psychosis.
Chronic mental disorder, like most diseases of this type, is characterized by periods of improvement and sharp deterioration in a person’s condition. Even after all signs of the disease have been suppressed, the patient is left with a persistent mental defect that is difficult to treat.
Organic mental disorder
Organic and symptomatic disorders manifest themselves in patients at the cerebral level; they can manifest themselves against the background of brain injuries, after a severe stroke, or against the background of abuse of alcohol, narcotic and psychotropic substances.
Organic mental disorder can be diagnosed based on two main characteristics. The first include cognitive dysfunction, when a person has problems with memory or habitual learning. Impairments may be associated with loss of alertness, concentration and awareness. The second group includes vivid manifestations of hallucinations, anxiety and depression, as well as disturbances in emotional behavior.
Treatment of mental disorders in men
Among men, acute and organic types of mental disorders are most common, which require a more serious and long-term approach to treatment. Psychosis, schizophrenia, addiction to illegal drugs and manic episodes – these diseases affect more than 40% of the male population. According to WHO statistics, men are much less likely to admit that they have mental disorders than women.
Treatment of mental disorders in men occurs under constant supervision by a professional psychotherapist. The most effective treatment is achieved only if it is comprehensive, that is, a combination of medications with techniques and exercises that are based on a direct conversation between the patient and the doctor.
Treatment of mental disorders
To treat a mental disorder or reduce a person’s suffering during an exacerbation of the disease in modern medicine, there are effective methods that can be practically successfully used only with professional supervision or while in an inpatient hospital.
Treatment of mental disorders should only take place in combination with the use of psychotropic medications and professional psychotherapy. For patients, the use of pills alone is not enough; it is important to regularly conduct conversations or exercises to get rid of the symptoms and causes of a serious mental illness.
Acute mental disorders
Transient and acute psychotic personality disorders are characterized by the most rapid development of diseases. The condition of a sick person can deteriorate significantly in just a few days, with several main signs observed - depression and passive mood, accompanied by intense hallucinations, states of seizures and delirium.
Acute mental disorders are conventionally divided into two categories - polymorphic state and schizophrenia. The latter occurs most often, the true causes of which have not yet been established. The risk group may include people who have been subjected to severe violence (not necessarily of an intimate nature), as well as those who have experienced severe emotional stress.
Treatment of mental disorders in women
Most often, women experience mental disorders associated with depression or constant anxiety. These species are the most resistant to drug treatment. Any treatment is based only on an individual approach, based on the woman’s condition, her age and previous injuries to the disease.
Treatment of mental disorders in women is based on a specific scheme, which includes the use of antidepressants, a combination of other pharmacological agents and mandatory psychotherapeutic techniques.
