Education Officer (Backstop 60), FS-2. US Agency for International Development (USAID) Worldwide; Apply by 10 March 2010; Mid-level; Posted on 19 May 2009
A rapid or fast heartbeat is when your heart is beating faster than normal. A normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia is considered a heart rate of greater than 100 beats per minute. If you are exercising, or performing any kind of activity, your heart will normally beat faster.
Taking a pulse not only measures the heart rate, but also can indicate the following: Heart rhythm. Strength of the pulse. The normal pulse for healthy adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. The pulse rate may fluctuate and increase with exercise, illness, injury, and emotions. Females ages 12 and older, in general, tend to have faster heart rates than do males.