Key takeaways:
A normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. It’s normal for your heart rate to increase at different points in the day with exercise or stress.
It’s not normal for your heart to stay over 100 beats per minute when you’re at rest. This is called tachycardia. It’s important to see a healthcare professional to figure out why this is happening.
Common causes of tachycardia include stress, certain medical conditions, and pregnancy. Taking supplements, caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco can also lead to a higher heart rate.
Your heart rate (or pulse) changes throughout the day depending on whether you’re active or at rest. And a higher heart rate — known as tachycardia — doesn’t always mean that there’s a medical problem. But if your pulse is high, even at rest, it could be a sign of a medical condition that needs attention. In this article, we’ll explore the issues that can affect your resting heart rate. And we’ll discuss when it’s important to get medical care.
What is a normal resting heart rate for adults?
Many things can affect your resting heart rate. A normal resting heart rate will be a little different for each person. The average adult’s heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. But many things affect someone’s average heart rate, including:
Fitness: People with good cardiovascular fitness — like athletes — tend to have lower resting heart rates. Their resting heart rate may even be in the 50s.
Age: The average adult between the ages of 18 and 30 usually has a heart rate in the low 80s. This decreases as they get older. Heart rates for adults between the ages of 50 to 80 years old typically run in the low 70s.
Sex: The average woman has a heart rate of 79. The average man clocks in at 74.
Keep in mind that these are just averages. It’s completely normal if your regular resting heart rate falls above or below average.
What causes a high resting heart rate?
On a normal day, your heart rate will fluctuate based on what you’re doing, what you’re eating, and how you’re feeling. We’ll go over the medical conditions that can affect heart rate in the next section. But first, here are some of the common, everyday causes that can increase your heart rate:
Exercise: When you exercise, it’s normal for your heart rate to rise. In most cases, it returns to normal within about 10 minutes of resting.
Stress: Stress or anxiety cause your body to release adrenaline, a stress hormone. Usually, this is a short-term issue, and it isn’t harmful. But chronic stress can increase your resting heart rate.
Poor sleep quality: Just missing 1 hour of sleep is enough to raise your resting heart rate the following day.
Sugar: Sugary foods and beverages will raise your blood sugar levels, which may cause your heart rate to rise.
Caffeine: Most people can enjoy 1 to 2 cups of tea or coffee without side effects. But if you’re sensitive to caffeine, or if you overdo it, it may temporarily bump up your heart rate. Energy drinks, in particular, can affect your heart.
Alcohol: Drinking alcohol often causes the heart rate to increase. As the alcohol wears off, your pulse should return to normal. Less commonly, drinking can trigger serious heart rhythm problems, like atrial fibrillation.
Tobacco: Using tobacco and nicotine in any form can raise your resting heart rate. And, often, people who smoke develop lung conditions that make the heart work harder.
Supplements: Any supplement marketed to boost energy may have ingredients that raise the heart rate. Supplements that affect hormone balance or weight loss can also increase heart rate.
Substance use: Cocaine, amphetamines, and other stimulant drugs raise your heart rate. Usually the pulse returns to normal when the drugs wear off. But these substances can also cause heart damage that can lead to a persistently high pulse rate.
Dehydration: When your body is low on fluid, your heart has to work extra hard to maintain normal blood flow. The circumstances that cause dehydration (like heat) can also raise the heart rate.
What medical conditions can raise your resting heart rate?
It’s normal for the heart rate to vary from hour to hour or day to day. But if your heart rate stays over 100 beats per minute, it may be a sign of a medical condition.
Common medical causes of a fast heart rate include:
Anemia: This happens when you don’t have enough red blood cells in the body. Iron deficiency is the most common cause. This might be due to things like heavy periods, stomach ulcers, or other gastrointestinal conditions.
Hyperthyroidism: Having too much thyroid hormone in the bloodstream can cause the heart to race. This can be a result of a thyroid condition, like Graves’ disease. It can also be due to taking too much prescription thyroid hormone, which is used to treat hypothyroidism.
Infections: Infections of any kind put stress on the body and often raise the resting heart rate. This is especially true if you have a fever.
Pregnancy: During pregnancy, your average heart rate increases by about 20 beats per minute. That means that if you usually run a pulse of 80, it may increase to 100. In most pregnancies, the heart adapts to these changes without any problem.
Heart rhythm problems: Arrhythmias can speed up your heart rate or make it irregular. These include atrial fibrillation (aFib), ventricular tachycardia (VT), and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT).
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): This condition causes a fast heart rate and dizziness when you stand up. Experts are still trying to figure out what causes POTS.
Cardiomyopathy: This is the medical term for having a weak or abnormally stiff heart muscle. And this condition can lead to congestive heart failure. This problem is more common in people older than 60 years, but it can happen at any age.
Pulmonary embolism: Blood clots in the lungs can cause shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate. Common causes include cancer, pregnancy, and long periods of immobility.
Medications that can raise your heart rate
Some medications can also raise your heart rate. These include:
Levothyroxine (Euthyrox), the replacement thyroid hormone for people with low thyroid function
Medications that treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Check in with your pharmacist or healthcare team if you’re concerned that your medications are affecting your heart rate.
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What are symptoms of a high resting heart rate?
A high resting heart rate doesn’t always cause obvious symptoms. Some people only know that their pulse is high by feeling or measuring it. But common symptoms of tachycardia include:
Dizziness
Chest tightness
Shortness of breath
Fatigue or weakness
A feeling of anxiety or panic
How can you improve your resting heart rate?
If you’re feeling well and your resting heart rate is just a little high, there are a few things you can do to bring it down. These include:
Get regular exercise.
Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.
But it’s important to know when it’s time to get medical attention, rather than to try to lower your heart rate on your own.
When should I see a healthcare professional about my heart rate?
An elevated heart rate can be the first warning sign of many different things going on in the body. It usually isn’t normal for your heart rate to stay over 100 beats per minute for hours at a time. And a heart rate that suddenly and unexpectedly jumps up to greater than 120 beats per minute could be a sign of trouble. If this happens, be sure to get medical attention. There are also other symptoms you shouldn’t ignore.
The following red flags are good reasons to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible:
A heart rate that remains faster than normal
Palpitations that last for more than a few minutes
Shortness of breath
Chest pain, pressure, or tightness (either at rest or with exercise)
Fainting, lightheadedness, or dizziness
New swelling in one or both of your legs
If you’re having trouble getting in touch with a healthcare professional, these are all good reasons to visit your nearest emergency room. Don’t wait for a scheduled visit if your symptoms feel severe or get worse.
Frequently asked questions
To take your resting heart rate, make sure you’re sitting and haven’t recently exercised. You can usually find your pulse by feeling the inside of your wrist, just below the base of your thumb. You’ll feel a soft, pounding sensation there. You can count how many times you feel this in 1 minute, or you can count it for 10 seconds and multiply by 6.
If you have a smartwatch or another type of electronic heart monitor, you may be able to get an electronic readout of your heart rate. Most of the time these devices are fairly accurate.
If you notice that your heart rate is higher than usual, ask yourself if there’s something that you’re doing or feeling that could be contributing to the problem. Often just sitting quietly for 10 to 15 minutes, away from stress and stimulants, can make a difference. Listening to slow, peaceful music may help, too.
Another great technique that can help is deep breathing. Here’s how to practice this:
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth for a count of 6.
Repeat this deep-breathing cycle for several minutes until you feel your heart rate slowing down.
To take your resting heart rate, make sure you’re sitting and haven’t recently exercised. You can usually find your pulse by feeling the inside of your wrist, just below the base of your thumb. You’ll feel a soft, pounding sensation there. You can count how many times you feel this in 1 minute, or you can count it for 10 seconds and multiply by 6.
If you have a smartwatch or another type of electronic heart monitor, you may be able to get an electronic readout of your heart rate. Most of the time these devices are fairly accurate.
If you notice that your heart rate is higher than usual, ask yourself if there’s something that you’re doing or feeling that could be contributing to the problem. Often just sitting quietly for 10 to 15 minutes, away from stress and stimulants, can make a difference. Listening to slow, peaceful music may help, too.
Another great technique that can help is deep breathing. Here’s how to practice this:
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 4.
Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth for a count of 6.
Repeat this deep-breathing cycle for several minutes until you feel your heart rate slowing down.
The bottom line
Most of the time, a fast heart rate settles down by itself. If your heart rate is high, pay attention to your stress level, your food and drink intake, and whether you’re getting enough sleep. It also helps to avoid things like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. But don’t delay a visit to a healthcare professional if your pulse is persistently over 100 beats per minute. And consider a visit to the nearest emergency room if you have other uncomfortable or worrisome symptoms. A healthcare professional can quickly help you get to the root of the problem.
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References
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Darki, C., et al. (2022). The effect of classical music on heart rate, blood pressure, and mood. Cureus.
Faust, L., et al. (2020). Deviations from normal bedtimes are associated with short-term increases in resting heart rate. npj Digital Medicine.
Muñoz, J. L. (2024). Physical changes during pregnancy. Merck Manual.
Price, L. R., et al. (2019). Cardiovascular, carcinogenic, and reproductive effects of nicotine exposure: A narrative review of the scientific literature. F1000Research.
Ryan, J. M., et al. (2002). Relations between alcohol consumption, heart rate, and heart rate variability in men. Heart.
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