Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDangerous Heart Rate: AdultsAdult Heart Rates and ExerciseTypes of High Heart RatesHigh Heart Rate: Symptoms/CausesHow to Lower Your Heart RateTypes of Low Heart RatesSlow Heart Rate: Symptoms/CausesHow to Check Your Heart RateWhen to See a ProviderDiagnostic TestsDangerous Heart Rate for a Child

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Dangerous Heart Rate: Adults

Adult Heart Rates and Exercise

Types of High Heart Rates

High Heart Rate: Symptoms/Causes

How to Lower Your Heart Rate

Types of Low Heart Rates

Slow Heart Rate: Symptoms/Causes

How to Check Your Heart Rate

When to See a Provider

Diagnostic Tests

Dangerous Heart Rate for a Child

Generally, a dangerous heart rate for an adult is above 100 beats per minute (bpm) at rest or less than 60 bpm at rest. However, some individuals may experience slight variations in these heart rates. For example, fit individuals may have resting heart rates below 60 bpm.

Many factors determine whether aheart rate is dangerous, such as a person’s activity level, age, gender, and any underlying health problems or medications they take. A dangerous heart rate for a child can also vary significantly depending on their age.

Dangerous Heart Rate for Adults

A heart rate may signal an underlying health concern when the resting heart rate is above 100 bpm or under 60 bpm. A heart rate that is above 100 bpm and too fast is calledtachycardia. A heart rate that is too slow and below 60 bpm is calledbradycardia.

When you’re active during the day or exercising, your heart pumps faster to get oxygen to your muscles. This makes yourheart rate go up. At night, when your body is at rest, your heart rate tends to go down. So, there are times during the day when it might be ok for your heart rate to go below 60 bpm or beyond 100 bpm. And if you’re an athlete, your resting heart rate may be below 60 bpm.

There can be some variation between male and female hearts, and females tend to have a higher resting heart rate. However, if you are assigned female at birth, a resting heart rate above 100 bpm still warrants a call to your healthcare provider to check out potential underlying causes.

The thresholds for a dangerous heart rate at rest or a maximum heart rate when active depend on your overall health, age, fitness level, and any medical conditions you have or medications you take.Higher heart ratesare expected when active and exercising, but they should return to between 60 and 100 bpm at rest. If it doesn’t, check in with your healthcare provider.

Generally, your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age. So, if you are 40 years old, your maximum heart rate while exercising would be 220-40=180 bpm.While a heart rate of 180 may be safe during periods of vigorous exercise, it should not remain that high.

Whilemoderately exercising, your target heart rate should be 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. So, if you’re 40 years old, your maximum heart rate should be about 180 bpm, and your target heart rate should be between 90 and 126 bpm during moderate exercise.If you exercise vigorously, your heart rate may approach 85% of your maximum heart rate.

However, once you are done exercising, your heart rate should fall back below 100 bpm at rest. If you exercise regularly, a resting heart rate of 40 beats per minute might be normal for you.

A heart rate that’s too high is calledtachycardia. In general, tachycardia means having a sustained heart rate above 100 bpm.

There are different types of tachycardia, including:

A higher heart rate can be normal in some situations, such as while exercising. You can also get tachycardia:

Too fast heart rates reduce the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body effectively and can lead to other health problems.

Symptoms of a High Heart Rate

In some cases, tachycardia does not cause any symptoms. When it does, a high heart rate can cause symptoms like:

Some of these symptoms are also symptoms of serious medical conditions such as a heart attack. Seek medical care if you are experiencing chest pain, difficulty breathing, or are concerned.

Causes of a High Heart Rate

There are several causes of a high heart rate. These include, but are not limited to:

Your heart rate generally decreases while you sleep. If you notice that it increases during sleep, it can signalsleep apneaor another underlying cause.

If a problem like a dangerous arrhythmia is causing a high heart rate, it can be fatal—and possibly occur without warning.

There are a few strategies you can use tocalm a racing heart. However, know that if there is an underlying health problem causing your heart rate to be too fast, you might need medical treatment.

A heart rate that is considered too low is calledbradycardia. For adults, this typically means a heart rate lower than 60 bpm.However, athletes and fit individuals can have low resting heart rates.

There are different types of bradycardia:

Symptoms of a Slow Heart Rate

Causes of a Slow Heart Rate

Causes of bradycardia can include, but are not limited to:

What Heart Rate Indicates a Heart Attack?There is no specific heart rate that is a sign you are having a heart attack. A person’s heart rate can be higher or lower than normal if they’re having a heart attack.

What Heart Rate Indicates a Heart Attack?

There is no specific heart rate that is a sign you are having a heart attack. A person’s heart rate can be higher or lower than normal if they’re having a heart attack.

How to Check Your Own Heart Rate

Keep in mind that if you take your heart rate when you’re stressed, ill, have recently used substances like nicotine and caffeine, or were recently working out, your heart rate might be higher than its usual baseline.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If your heart rate is consistently out of the normal range or you are concerned about your heart function or that of your child, contact your healthcare provider.

Your healthcare provider can perform various tests to determine if your heart rate is too high or too low and the underlying cause.

When To Call 911 or Go to the Emergency DepartmentSometimes, a change in your heart rate can signal a serious health problem.Seek immediatemedical attentionor call 911 if you get any of these symptoms suddenly and severely:Chest pain or pressureJaw, arm, neck, or back painDifficulty breathingWeaknessDizziness/faintingFatigueNausea/vomiting

When To Call 911 or Go to the Emergency Department

Sometimes, a change in your heart rate can signal a serious health problem.Seek immediatemedical attentionor call 911 if you get any of these symptoms suddenly and severely:Chest pain or pressureJaw, arm, neck, or back painDifficulty breathingWeaknessDizziness/faintingFatigueNausea/vomiting

Sometimes, a change in your heart rate can signal a serious health problem.

Seek immediatemedical attentionor call 911 if you get any of these symptoms suddenly and severely:

Diagnostic Tests for Abnormal Heart Rates

Healthcare providers can use various tests to determine the underlying cause of abnormal heart rates. These tests include, but are not limited to:

Tell your provider about any medications, over-the-counter (OTC) products, or supplements you are taking, as certain drugs affect your heart rate. For example,beta-blockersslow your heart down, while decongestants can increase it.

What Is a Dangerous Heart Rate for a Child?

Normal active and resting heart rates differ among children and adults, and the normal range for heart rates in children varies depending on age. Many causes of fast and slow heart rates are the same for children and adults, such as illness, fevers, infections, medications,cardiac conditions, and other health concerns.

If you are concerned that your child’s heart rate is too fast or too slow, ask their healthcare provider for advice.

Normal Heart Rates in ChildrenAgeHeart Rate While Awake (Beats Per Minute)Heart Rate While Sleeping (Beats Per Minute)Newborn100-20590-1601 month to 1 year100-18090-1601 to 3 years98-14080-1203 to 5 years80-12065-1006 to 12 years75-11858-9013 to 18 years60-10050-90SummaryA normal resting heart rate for adults is 60 to 100 bpm. However, heart rates can vary from person to person, and your ideal heart rate might be higher or lower than this range.Many factors can cause a heart rate to be too high or too low, includingexercising, consuming caffeine, and smoking. In some cases, a heart rate that is too high or too low is a sign of underlying problems with the electrical impulses in your heart, other medical conditions, or even a side effect of a medication you’re taking.If you have an abnormal heartbeat and other symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath, seek medical attention.

Summary

A normal resting heart rate for adults is 60 to 100 bpm. However, heart rates can vary from person to person, and your ideal heart rate might be higher or lower than this range.

Many factors can cause a heart rate to be too high or too low, includingexercising, consuming caffeine, and smoking. In some cases, a heart rate that is too high or too low is a sign of underlying problems with the electrical impulses in your heart, other medical conditions, or even a side effect of a medication you’re taking.

If you have an abnormal heartbeat and other symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath, seek medical attention.

8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American Heart Association.Bradycardia: slow heart rate.The American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.American Heart Association.Tachycardia: Fast heart rate.American Heart Association.Bradycardia: Slow heart rate.Tse G, Liu T, Li KH, et al.Tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome: Electrophysiological mechanisms and future therapeutic approaches (Review).Int J Mol Med. 2017;39(3):519-526. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2017.2877Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.Zhou X, Hong G, Vannan MA.Echocardiography. Chapter 4. In:Integrated Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging: A Guide for the Practitioner.International Atomic Energy Agency; 2021.

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American Heart Association.Bradycardia: slow heart rate.The American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.American Heart Association.Tachycardia: Fast heart rate.American Heart Association.Bradycardia: Slow heart rate.Tse G, Liu T, Li KH, et al.Tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome: Electrophysiological mechanisms and future therapeutic approaches (Review).Int J Mol Med. 2017;39(3):519-526. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2017.2877Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.Zhou X, Hong G, Vannan MA.Echocardiography. Chapter 4. In:Integrated Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging: A Guide for the Practitioner.International Atomic Energy Agency; 2021.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The American Heart Association.Bradycardia: slow heart rate.The American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.American Heart Association.Tachycardia: Fast heart rate.American Heart Association.Bradycardia: Slow heart rate.Tse G, Liu T, Li KH, et al.Tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome: Electrophysiological mechanisms and future therapeutic approaches (Review).Int J Mol Med. 2017;39(3):519-526. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2017.2877Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.Zhou X, Hong G, Vannan MA.Echocardiography. Chapter 4. In:Integrated Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging: A Guide for the Practitioner.International Atomic Energy Agency; 2021.

The American Heart Association.Bradycardia: slow heart rate.

The American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.

American Heart Association.Target heart rates chart.

American Heart Association.Tachycardia: Fast heart rate.

American Heart Association.Bradycardia: Slow heart rate.

Tse G, Liu T, Li KH, et al.Tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome: Electrophysiological mechanisms and future therapeutic approaches (Review).Int J Mol Med. 2017;39(3):519-526. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2017.2877

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart attack symptoms, risk, and recovery.

Zhou X, Hong G, Vannan MA.Echocardiography. Chapter 4. In:Integrated Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Imaging: A Guide for the Practitioner.International Atomic Energy Agency; 2021.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies