Jump to content

What Qualifies As Tachy


maryfw

Recommended Posts

What qualifies as Tachy? Sometimes I feel like my heart is racing and pounding and I am short of breath but what heart rate is technically tachy?

mary

I am on a 30 day event monitor and I dont know if I should push the bottom just because I feel like I am short of breath or wait until my heart rate is at a certain rate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most sources classify tachycardia as a resting HR of 100 bpm or higher.

In reality, I think, it's more relative than that, because I have a low resting HR, and if it's beating at 70 bpm when I'm trying to go to sleep, I can't sleep, because it seems to be pounding. Sometimes the heart can "pound" with what seem like forceful beats that aren't necessarily faster.

I know I'm not DG, but right now I'm enjoying brief free time!

When you're wearing a heart monitor, the doctors want to know when you're experiencing symptoms and what you're doing at the time. If you're having symptoms and don't push it just because you think your heart isn't beating fast enough, what use will it be to them in figuring out what's going on?

Take care.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mary,

You should push the button when you're having symptoms - not when you reach a certain heart rate. Your cardiologists are probably looking to correlate your symptoms with a possible abnormality in heart rhythm, rate or both. You can have a heart rate of 60 and a cardiac arrhythmia, so it's necessary to record when you're having shortness of breath.

By definition, normal heart rate is between 60-100 bpm, so anything above that 'may' constitute tachycardia. Most cardiologists agree that a rate of >120 bpm is tachycardia. Keep in mind that these parameters are arbitrary; blood pressure, pulse pressure and symptoms are all important factors when considering if a heart rate is worrisome.

Take care,

drg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you doctor Guest.

The heart monitor actually went off this morning by itself and I didnt feel any symptoms at the time but about a minute later I did. So I will take your advice and just push that bottom anytime I feel shortness of breath or like my heart is racing. What other symptoms should I record. What if I feel like someone is sitting on my chest or tightness in my throat?

Thank you again and I appreciate you being on the forum

mary

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...