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2torial #0902:
Learn2 Take a Pulse
Don't be re-pulsed!
You don't have to be a doctor-wannabe (or a
hypochondriac) to want to take a pulse. In reality,
it's a skill that has a plethora of purposes: with
it, you can ensure that your or someone else's
heart is healthily pumping its juice (your blood),
detect any heartbeat irregularities and determine a
body temperature rise or decrease. An accurate
pulse count also lets you know when you've
accelerated your heart rate enough to start burning
off that banana split during exercise.
In this 2torial, we'll teach you methods for
taking your own pulse--methods you can then use to
take someone else's. Get with the beat!
You should know that your "pulse" refers both to
the physical thump created in your arteries by the
contraction of your heart muscles and the number of
these thumps your heart causes per minute. You have
seven pulse points--places where arteries come
close to your skin--on your body:
a. carotid arteries (located on your
neck)
b. radial arteries (on your wrists)
c. brachial arteries (on your arms)
d. aortic arch (by your heart)
e. abdominal aorta (near your stomach)
f. femoral arteries (on your thighs)
g. popliteal arteries (near your knees)
That may sound like a lot of anatomic vocab to
retain, but those are just your options. Most
people are able to detect a pulse on the carotids
or the radial arteries.
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