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is heart beat same as pulse rate? Shocking Truth About Heart Rate vs Pulse You Must Know
When you have ever put two fingers on your wrist, or touched your neck a little, or peeped at the figures on your smartwatch, you have most likely noticed something intriguing: every time your heart beats, there appears to be a little pulse in your hand. And that brings up the question: Is heart beat same as pulse rate? (see more)
On the face of it, they may seem to be the same things–since, after all, your heart does beat, and you can feel that beating as a pulse. However, when fitness experts, doctors, or nurses speak about the difference between pulse and heart rate, they are pointing out some very thin slices that can do much to inform us about how the body operates.
This is not some medical-ese. Knowing heart rate vs pulse can help you track your fitness, identify what steps to health issues early before they happen, and interpret the information your smart devices continue feeding you on. Even the fairly general misunderstanding that exists between heartbeat and heart rate vs pulse can be clarified when you understand what exactly is actually going on within your cardiovascular system.
Imagine it in the following way: The actual pump in your chest is your heartbeat, which tirelessly pumps the blood into your arteries, and your pulse is the wave produced by that pump. In the majority of cases, they fit like a glove. They fail to do so, however, occasionally–and the difference may be an indicator that is worth watching.
In this complete guide, we’ll:
- Simply explain the science of heartbeat vs heart rate.
- Describe the various differences between pulse and heart rate using practical examples.
- See why your pulse rate and heart rate may sometimes be different.
- Give tables, practical examples, and startling facts to ensure that all of them are easy to understand.
- Provide answers to the most frequently asked questions about heart rate vs pulse that most people ask themselves but never get to ask.
You will not just have the technical definitions by the end, you will have actual knowledge to better monitor your health, whether you are an athlete, a casual gym-goer, or simply someone who is interested in how the body functions.
Is Heart Beat and Pulse the Same?
Almost, but not exactly. (see more)
- Heartbeat: This is the real contraction of your heart muscle, which forces the blood out of the chambers and into circulation.
- Pulse: This is the pressure wave you feel in your arteries–as at your wrist or neck–with every beat of the heart as it pushes the blood along.
In the majority of healthy individuals, the rate of heartbeat vs pulse rate is identical, providing you with the same number of beats per minute (bpm). That is why fitness apparel and smart watches are able to calculate your heart rate by detecting your pulse.
However, here is the delicate distinction: the first one measures the work of the heart, the second one the outcome of the work in your blood vessels. When there is an arrhythmia, poorly flowing blood, or some heart disorders, the figures will be off.
You can imagine it in this way: The heart is the drummer, the pulse is the echo of the drumming of the heart, which goes through your body. The echo is almost always crystal clear, but occasionally it jumps or disappears–then it is time to think about it medically.
Difference Between Pulse and Heart Rate
A brief description of the distinction between heart rate vs pulse is given below:
| Feature | Heart Beat / Heart Rate | Pulse Rate |
| Definition | Number of times the heart contracts per minute | Number of pressure waves in arteries/min |
| Measurement | ECG, stethoscope, chest strap monitors | Wrist, neck, ankle, fingertip |
| Focus | Electrical + muscular activity of the heart | Blood flow reaches the body |
| Medical Use | Detects arrhythmias, heart performance | Checks circulation and rhythm |
| Everyday Context | Exercise testing, cardiac health | Fitness tracking, self-checks |
This illustrates the reason why heartbeat vs heart rate is not exactly the same as that which you experience in your pulse.
Heart Rate vs Pulse in Real Life
In the majority of cases, your pulse readings will be in line with your heart rate. When you have a normal circulation in the heart, with every beat, you can bring out a definite pulse wave that you can feel in your wrist, neck, or ankle.
Now–Example:–Suppose your heart contracts 72 times per minute, you will generally feel 72 beats of the pulse upon your wrist. In some circumstances, however, especially in arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, or weak circulation, some heartbeats might fail to produce a sufficiently large wave of blood to produce a discernible pulse. Your pulse rate vs heart beat rate might not be the same in that case.
This is medically referred to as a pulse deficit, and this is one of the reasons why doctors usually compare both the heartbeat and pulse readings.
Quote to remember: “The pulse is the imprint of the beat of his heart that passes through your veins.”
This basic concept demonstrates the reason why the terms heartbeat vs heart rate and heart rate vs pulse are not always synonymous. Pumping is done by the heart, but the feeling of that pump is felt as the pulse in your body.
Heartbeat vs Heart Rate: Is There a Difference?
Heartbeat vs heart rate is a phrase often used interchangeably by people to mean the same thing: but in technical terms, the two are describing two similar but different things: (see more)
- Carry on Answer: Heartbeat. Every one of your heart pumps blood through your body. Every single lub-dub that you hear with a stethoscope is a heartbeat.
- Heart rate: The number of that many contractions per minute, which should be described as beats per minute (bpm). In other words:
- Your heartbeat is the action. Your Heart rate is a measurement of how frequently that action occurs.
- Example: When your heart beats 70 times in one minute, you have 70 heartbeats, and your heartbeats 70 bpm.
- The two terms are used interchangeably, but by maintaining the difference, you will be more able to comprehend medical readings, topics in fitness magazines, and even the discussion with your general physician.
Heart Beat Rate vs Pulse Rate: Medical Insight
In the normal state of things, the rate of your heart rate vs pulse coincides: each contraction of your heart produces a pulse wave that you can feel in your arteries.
- Normal case: When your heart beats 80 beats a minute, you will generally feel 80 beats on your wrist or neck.
- Abnormal case: In some conditions, such as arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation or poor circulation, all heartbeats may not necessarily generate a sufficiently high pressure wave to be experienced as a pulse.
- This imbalance is referred to as pulse deficit. This is the reason why physicians tend to examine your heart rate (with a stethoscope or ECG) as well as your pulse rate (by feeling your arteries). When the two figures fail to match you may be having some hidden issues with the manner in which your heart is pumping blood.
Fact: Pulse deficit does not only manifest itself in severe heart conditions- it may also manifest itself when one is dehydrated, abnormally fatigued or even in cases of palpitations caused by stress. That is why monitoring heart beat rate vs pulse rate is a such easy and effective tool during basic medical check-ups.
How to Measure Heart Rate and Pulse
| Method | Best For | Accuracy |
| ECG (Electrocardiogram) | Heartbeat electrical activity | Very high |
| Stethoscope | Listening to the heartbeat | High |
| Wrist/Neck Pulse | Quick self-check of pulse rate | Moderate |
| Smartwatch/Fitness Tracker | Tracks pulse day & night | Good |
Pro-Tip: To get the best reading, take the pulse rate at a point in time after being in a sitting position for 5 minutes.
Factors That Affect Heart Rate vs Pulse
The pulse and the heart rate may vary due to:
- Exercise -The heart rate increases to deliver oxygen.
- Stress -Anxiety raises the heart rate above the pulse rate.
- Caffeine /Alcohol- Can cause your heart to beat faster or arrhythmia.
- Sleep- The average heart rate during sleep is generally low.
- Disease Conditions: Fever, dehydration, or infections may increase either.
Myths About Heartbeat vs Heart Rate
- Myth: Heartbeat and pulse are absolutely different.
Fact: They are identical cycles, but at different measures.
- Myth: When your pulse is normal, then your heart is certainly healthy.
Fact: There are heart conditions that can not be observed in the pulse but can be recorded during an ECG.
Comparison: Heartbeat vs Pulse Rate at a Glance
- Heartbeat = The contraction.
- Heart Rate = Beats per minute.
- Pulse = Blood wave you can feel.
- Pulse Rate = Pulses per minute.
Mere analogy: Heartbeat, the drummer. Pulse is the sound. The number of beats per minute is called the heart rate. The number of echoes that you hear is the pulse rate.
Interesting Facts About Heart Rate vs Pulse
- Your heart beats 100,000 times a day, and you can reckon as many pulses.
- Stress can raise the rate of heartbeat vs pulse rate in only seconds.
- Athletes can experience a normal pulse rate of less than 40 during sleep.
Conclusion:
Well, what about heartbeat and pulse rate? It is quite straightforward and multi-layered at the same time: your pulse and heartbeat are closely intertwined, yet they do not necessarily coincide.
The beating of your heart is the action of the muscle of the heart–the engine that circulates the blood throughout your body. The ripple or the wave of pressure that travels through your arteries is your pulse rate. The rate of heartbeats against pulse rate is equal in most healthy human beings, hence the reason why we tend to use the two interchangeably.
However, the point is as follows: under some health conditions, the numbers may become separated. For example, In arrhythmias, your heart will beat a beat faster than the beat you can feel.
There are circulation problems in which not all heartbeats will produce a good pulse wave.
Your pulse rate may be weak, although the heart rate is high, in dehydration or shock. That is the reason why doctors discuss the difference between pulse and heart rate– because it provides them with a critical understanding of whether or not your heart is simply beating or beating well.
Heartbeat vs heart rate: Your heartbeat is the number of times your heart beats; your heart rate is the number of times per minute.
Heart rate vs pulse: Heart rate and pulse are generally similar, except pulse indicates blood circulation, whilst heart rate indicates heart activity.
Practical: Heart beat rate vs pulse rate. Medical machines directly measure heart rate. Fitness devices typically measure pulse.
Everyday health: You may have an irregular pulse, one that seems to be either too slow or fast or too weak to be normal: this may be worth checking.
Consider it in this manner: the rate of your heart is the speed of the engine of your body, and the throb that you can feel at your pulse is the vibration on the dashboard. In the majority of cases, they are compatible. However, unless they do, then this mismatch can be a message worth hearing.
And the next time you look at your fitness tracker, put fingers on the wrist, or ask yourself, is heart beat and pulse the same? You will be able to see the whole picture. It is not the numbers only, but the knowledge of your body and the ability to identify red flags early in life and take action towards a healthier life.
