What Causes a Pulse in an Artery?
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Definition
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According to Dorland's Medical Dictionary (a reference sponsored by the pharmaceutical company Merck), the pulse is the manifestation of the beating of the heart that can be felt through the walls of an artery. One common misconception about the pulse is that what can be felt is the blood pushing through the artery. Instead, the pulse you feel is actually the result of a miniature "shock wave" that travels through an artery as the heart beats. The pulse is most commonly read on the radial artery (in the wrist) or the carotid artery (in the neck).
Pulse Measurement
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A pulse reading can be taken anywhere there is an artery that runs very close to the skin. According to the Medline database of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), other arterial areas near the surface of the skin through which pulse can easily be felt include the groin, the back of the knees and the temple, as well as the inside (or the top) of the foot. The pulse can be read by placing the index and middle finger over the artery and then counting the number of times a slight pressure is felt, typically while watching the second hand on a watch for 15 seconds or so. The resting pulse is measured when the body is at rest, and requires that there not have been physical activity in the previous 10 minutes. The pulse rate can also be measured during exercise to give information about the intensity of the exercise as well as measure the overall fitness of the participant, and how they respond to exercise.
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Pulse Pressure
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According to the Mayo Clinic, pulse pressure can be measured; this is, however, different from from the actual pulse. The pulse pressure is the difference between the diastolic and the systolic blood pressure. The systolic pressure is the maximum blood pressure in the arteries while the heart is beating, and the diastolic pressure is the maximum blood pressure in the arteries while the heart is between beats. Pulse pressure normally measures at 40 millimeters of mercury, and anything above 60 milliliters is considered to be abnormal. Abnormally high pulse pressure is considered to be an indicator of potential heart trouble.
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