How to Check Your Pulse

Your pulse is the wave of pressure that travels along your arteries each time your heart pumps. Feeling it with your fingertips tells you two useful things: how many times your heart beats in a minute, and whether those beats arrive in a steady rhythm. It is a simple skill, it needs no equipment beyond a clock, and it can help you notice changes worth talking about with a health professional.

This guide is general information. A pulse check at home is not a diagnosis, and a single reading on its own says very little. Think of it as one more way to get to know your own body.

Before you start

For a resting reading, sit down somewhere quiet and stay still for a few minutes first. Avoid checking straight after climbing stairs, drinking coffee or a stressful phone call, since all of these can nudge the number up for a while. Have a watch, phone timer or clock with a second hand within view.

Finding the pulse at your wrist

1. Hold one hand out with the palm facing up and the elbow slightly bent.
2. Place the index and middle fingers of your other hand on the inside of your wrist, just below the base of the thumb.
3. Press gently into the groove between the bone at the edge of the wrist and the tendon in the middle. Move your fingers slightly if you cannot feel anything at first.
4. Use your fingertips, not your thumb, because the thumb has a pulse of its own that can confuse the count.

Finding the pulse at your neck

If the wrist pulse is hard to find, you can use the neck instead. Place two fingertips at the side of your windpipe, in the soft hollow just below the angle of the jaw. Press lightly and only ever on one side at a time. Pressing hard, or on both sides together, is not a good idea, and if you feel dizzy, stop.

Counting the beats

Once you can feel a steady tap, start your timer and count each beat. There are two common ways to do it:

• Count for a full minute. This is the most reliable method and the best choice if the rhythm feels uneven.
• Count for thirty seconds and double the result. This is quicker and works well when the rhythm is steady.

The figure you end up with is your heart rate in beats per minute. For adults at rest, health services commonly quote a range of 60 to 100 beats per minute, but what is usual differs from person to person. Regular exercisers may sit lower, and age, medicines, fitness and general health all play a part. Your doctor can tell you what makes sense for you.

Paying attention to rhythm

The count is only half the picture. While you have your fingers in place, notice whether the beats feel evenly spaced, like a clock ticking, or whether they skip, flutter, pause or race in bursts. An occasional extra or missed beat is something many people feel from time to time. A rhythm that seems persistently irregular is worth mentioning to a GP, who may suggest a simple heart tracing to look more closely.

What can change your pulse

Because so much affects a single reading, the most useful habit is to check at a similar time each day, for example after waking and before your morning coffee, and note the numbers in a diary or app. A trend over weeks tells you far more than one isolated count. If you are curious about bringing your usual figure down through everyday habits, our guide on lowering your resting heart rate covers the basics.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers

Many wearables estimate heart rate using light sensors on the back of the device. They are convenient for spotting patterns, though readings can be thrown off by a loose strap, movement or cold skin. If a device flags something unusual, check your pulse by hand and talk to a professional rather than relying on the gadget alone.

When to get help

Call your local emergency number straight away if a fast, slow or irregular pulse comes with chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting or confusion. Make a routine appointment with your GP if your resting pulse often feels irregular, if you notice palpitations that keep coming back, or if your readings seem consistently very fast or very slow compared with what is usual for you. A pharmacist can help if you wonder whether a medicine might be affecting your heart rate. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without advice.