PULSE RATE (Am I at Deaths Door)

[Lizistired]

Sounds like you are in good shape and active. You could compare your oximeter with another or put it on a friend and see what their readings are. But at 46, why not just get a stress test and see what it says. It will put your mind at ease or tell you something. I'm betting you have a strong heart that doesn't have to pump very much to supply your body with fresh oxygenated blood, but wouldn't you rather hear that from a professional based on test results?

[jnk]

Ask other male members of your family what their pulse rates are.

Other info your doc may want:

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/medi ... heart-rate

I agree with the others that the question is unanswerable over the Internet.

As one source says:

Commonly, sinus bradycardia is an incidental finding in otherwise healthy individuals, particularly in young adults or sleeping patients. Other causes of sinus bradycardia are related to increased vagal tone.

But it also says:

Pathologic causes include, but are not limited to, . . . toxic or environmental exposure, electrolyte disorders, infection, sleep apnea, drug effects, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, and increased intracranial pressure. Sinus bradycardia may also be caused by the sick sinus syndrome . . .

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/7 ... view#a0104

So it would be difficult for anyone to tell anyone else to ignore the finding, I would think.

Those are sorts of questions docs are paid to give to people who are right in front of their eyes when the person's full personal and family history is known.

Reasonable screening studies, especially if the patient is symptomatic and this is the initial presentation, include the following:
Electrolyte levels
Glucose level
Calcium level
Magnesium level
Thyroid function tests
Toxicologic screen

[snnnark]

I too have idiopathic asymptomatic bradycardia. (i.e. "we don't know why your heart beats slow but you have no symptoms") Sleep rates average lower 30s. Daytime rate is about 40. I have had the whole heart workup including nuclear stress test, ultrasound, ECG, treadmill stress test and no problems have been found. Bp is normal to borderline high (depending on quality of sleep).

The reasons I was deemed ineligible for a pace maker were:

I have a normal chronotropic response. i.e. my heart rate increases with exercise.
Blood pressure is not low.
Blood oxygen levels are normal even at lowest pulse rates.
Blood tests within normal ranges.
ECG shows no abnormalities, i.e. normal sinus rhythm.
I have no symptoms i.e. don't get dizzy when i get up suddenly, don't faint etc.

I agree with all the others. For your own peace of mind get checked up, but don't panic. You are not alone!

[snnnark]

p.s. can you post the SPO2 portion of your oximetry graph? I'm curious to see if you have any desaturations.

[archangle]

When my dad had a slow heart rate, they were worried he might get clots forming inside his heart due to overly slow blood flow. (Or something like that, second hand information.)

[snnnark]

When my dad had a slow heart rate, they were worried he might get clots forming inside his heart due to overly slow blood flow. (Or something like that, second hand information.)

I was worried about that too, but the cardiologist said that as long as the blood is moved out of the heart regularly then it shouldn't be a problem. The problem with fibrillation is that even though the heart is beating fast, it's not moving any blood. Similarly, bradycardia caused by heart failure may mean the ejection fraction (blood pumped out of the heart) is too low and the blood will pool and may clot.

p.s. I am not a doctor and don't play one on tv either. my understanding of heart issues is purely heresay and what I have read.