That steady beat you feel when you touch your fingers to your wrist, neck, or the inside

of your

elbow is good news – it means you’re alive and kicking. And if you take a minute to figure out

just how fast or slow it’s thumping, you might learn something about how to keep your health in

check.

Determining your heart rate is easy; just take your pulse and count the beats for a full

minute. But that info is most useful if you track it over time and tell your doctor about any

substantial shifts, says Par R. Taub, MD, a board-certified cardiologist and associate professor of

medicine at the University of California, San Diego. “What’s even more important than a single

heart rate is the trend,” she says.

Taub says that the ideal resting heart rate for most people is between 60 and 85 beats per

minute (bpm), though some doctors say up to 100 bpm is OK. If your is too low (bradycardia) or

too high (tachycardia), it could be your body’s way of sending out an S.O.S. to tell you

something’s not right. So what could be troubling your ticker? Here are a few reasons that might

explain why your heart rate is out of whack.

1. You’re stressed.

Stress can make your heart pound and blood pressure rise, which throws your body into

the “fight or flight” mode. (Important note: Heart rate and blood pressure aren’t the same

thing, and they don’t always rise or fall in tandem.) Chronic stress keeps you – and your

heart – in a state of high alert, which increases your chances of having a heart attack or

stroke, Says Taub.

2. You have diabetes or are on your way to getting it.

Doctors aren’t clear on whether a high heart rate causes diabetes or if diabetes causes a

high heart rate, but recent studies show that the two are definitely related. Often, says
 Taub, people who develop diabetes are less active and more likely to have coronary

disease and high blood pressure all of which strain the heart. And when your heart’s not

happy, it can lead to other problems down the road. “There are a lot of studies that link

higher heart rate, especially in patients with diabetes, to more adverse outcomes,” Says

Taub.

3. There’s a short in your heart’s electrical system

Your heart has its own electrical (conduction) system – a network of signals that help it

beat correctly – and a slow heart rate might indicate an abnormality, says Taub. People

who have an electrical problem may feel dizzy or lightheaded. Your doctor should be

able to detect and pinpoint the malfunction with a simple EKG.

4. You’re not getting enough exercise

You know the phrase “use it or lose it”? It applies to your heart. It’s a muscle, and it need

exercise to perform at its peak. “Inactivity and obesity often contribute to an elevated

resting heart rate, “says Taub. Why? Because when you’re out of shape, your heart has to

work harder to get your blood where it needs to go. Plus, the bigger you are, the more

blood you need. More blood to pump equals more heart beats per minute.

5. Drugs (including prescription ones) are messing with your numbers.

Certain medications can reset your heart rate reading and give you a new normal. “Beta
blockers and calcium channel blockers are the main ones that can lower a heart rate, “says
Taub. Both relax your heart, which can slow it down. That’s not necessarily dangerous, but check
with your doctor if you have any concerns.

Caffeine, on the other hand, can ramp up a heartbeat in a hurry. It’s often found in headache
medications, and it lurks in certain food and drinks, like tea and chocolate. “Some people are
extremely sensitive to caffeine, so they drink a coffee or an energy drink, and they immediately
get elevations of their heart rate,” says Taub. Cutting back should help.

6. You’re dehydrated or too hydrated.

Minerals in your body with an electric charge are called electrolytes. If you drink too much water
or not enough, it can throw off the ration of electrolytes in your system, which messes with your
 body chemistry. “If your potassium, calcium, or magnesium levels are very low, that can induce
arrhythmias [abnormal rhythms]. Which can manifest as a higher heart rate,” says Taub.

7. Your thyroid is under – overactive.

Your thyroid – the butterfly – shaped organ in your neck – produces hormones that help your
body function correctly. If it’s not making enough, it means you have hypothyroidism, which
could cause your heart rate to be low, says Taub. On the other hand, if it’s overperforming and
pumping out extra hormones, you have hyperthyroidism, which can raise your heart rate. Your
doctor can test your thyroid function with a blood test.