10 simple health checks that could save your life

Your pulse

Take your pulse to get some important health clues
Your pulse should be around 70 beats a minute. If it's much more rapid, you could have an overactive thyroid and if it's rapid and irregular it could be a sign of a condition known as atrial fibrillation. This is potentially very dangerous as blood can pool in the heart's upper chambers, causing a clot. If part of it then breaks off and enters the bloodstream it could block an artery - and if it's an artery supplying the brain, it can cause a stroke.
 
Action point
Take your pulse regularly. Place the first two fingers of your right hand on the left wrist just below the thumb. Count the beats in 60 seconds, concentrating on their regularity. Don't worry about an occasional extra or dropped beat, but if it's very rapid and/or very irregular, see your doctor.

Pubished December 2003

The answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone and are not substitutes for professional medical advice. If you're worried, see your GP.

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