does anyone know about a pulse rate being different in both arms? I thought it was suppose to be the same?

Answer 1

stenosis of the radial artery, earlier surgery on one of your arms,wrong pulse taking (e.g. with the thumb which has its own pulse), or possibly you were expecting something like that and got too excited taking the pulse, or it may be something much more serious but you need not worry if the difference was not more than five and i would advise you to calmly retake the pulse again and the right way:with the tip of your fingers.
If the result is the same and it is gretaer than a difference of five, go see your doc!

Answer 2

In terms of your pulse RATE, it should be the same on both sides, however subtle changes in rate can change quickly. (Just like your heart rate could speed up or slow down rather quickly.)

What does that mean? It means that if you check one side, get nervous, and feel the other side, your pulse could be faster, and therefore different.

The other thing that can change your pulse rate quickly is by taking a deep breath and holding it. So, if you were holding your breath while trying to check your pulse (something a lot of people do unconciously) then there can be a difference in rate.

On average, they should be the same. Even a blockage won't slow the rate down. The only thing that should change the rate are physiologic changes between measurements like I talked about above.

Does that help?

Answer 3

I'm answering this question as a nursing student who has to take a lot of vital signs and just finished the bookwork. The pulse rate (the number of times the heart is actually beating) should not be different in the two arms. If one arm has a lower pulse rate, this is indicative of an obstruction somewhere in that arm's bloodflow. Blood pressure (the pressure of the blood in the vessels) is usually different in both arms due to the distance from the heart, the way the person in situated, and other variables. If someone told you the pulse rate was usually different in both arms, they probably meant to say blood pressure.
Cheers!

Answer 4

Pulse rates and blood pressure can differ in each arm. We found this out when my dad was going through a medical exam for insurance purposes. The nurse took his blood pressure and pulse rate in each arm. When my mother asked why, the nurse said that if the readings were too different if could be indicative of a blockage somewhere on that side of the body. She said that you should always request that they check both arms when taking blood pressure or pulse rates.

Answer 5

Pulmanary rate, pulse, should be the same in both arms or where ever it is checked on the body. Physical anomolies (blockages, muscle and nerve trension) can have some affect. Anything more than a three to four beat per minute difference should be looked at by a doctor.

Answer 6

Hand Pulse Rate

Answer 7

It is always the same in both arms. Sometimes people get confused by the "feel" of the pulse because they use a different hand to check the pulse and they may feel the pulse of their hand or fingers combined with the pulse of the arm.
The only way to know for sure is to have someone else take your pulse simultaniously in both arms to avoid any confusion.

Answer 8

It's my understanding that if you are a healthy person both arms should have the same pulse rate. The pulse rate may vary is there is a blockage in one of the vain in one of the arms. But for the most it should be the same, there is only one heart.

Answer 9

Your pulse is the imPULSE felt when the heart contracts. It is that pressure wave that is felt at the arteries. The time of propogation to the extremity can have a minimal variation -- not usually perceptable. You may feel something that you think is a pulse, but is actually something else, muscle fasciculation, etc. So technically, since the pulse rate starts in one place, the heart, it must be the same rate in each arm.

Answer 10

Pulse rate is beats per minute. Taken simultaneously in differing extremities, pulse rate will be exactly the same. As another respondant said: you have only one heart. The ejection of blood from the heart into the arterial system is responsible for the pulse. As such, pulse rate equals heart rate. Heart rate varies from second to second. Variation with respiration, variation with exertion, with anxiety, etc.

Now, there will be a slight delay in the pulse reaching more distal sites, as it takes time for the pressure wave to travel down an artery. So you will feel the pulse in your foot slightly later than in your neck, but the rate per minute will be identical.

Answer 11

Since your heart sends the same blood through the same blood vessels at the same rate, there should not be a difference in your observed pulse on various parts of your body. Your brachial (upper arm), carotid (neck) and radial (wrist) pulses should all be the same. If your pulse is different, is it probably because you just exercised, and in the time between checking your arms, your heart rate has slowed.