What is the maximum acceptable heart rate of a 14 year old?

What is the maximum acceptable heart rate of a 14 year old?

A normal resting heart rate is between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute) for people 15 years and older.

According to the American Heart Association, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute) for people 15 years and older. 

However, a low heart rate can also be common in athletes, people who are physically fit, or people who take medications such as beta-blockers. 

The chart below shows normal heart rates by age.

Normal Heart Rates By Age
Age range Heart Rate (beats per minute, or BPM)
Newborn 100-16
0-5 months 90-150
6-12 months

80-140

1-3 years 80-130
3-5 years 80-120
6-10 years 70-110
11-14 years 60-105
15 years and older 60-100

The American Heart Association recommends people exercise according to their specific target heart rate zone. Target heart rate zone refers to a safe heart rate range during exercise, and it differs by age.

It is calculated as a percentage (usually between 50 and 85 percent) of your maximum heart rate. Exercising below 50 percent may not help you reach your desired goals of fitness, whereas exercising beyond 85 percent may cause common problems such as sore muscles to something as serious as a heart attack.

How to Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate and Target Heart Rate

Here are steps to calculate your maximum heart rate and target heart rate zone:

  • Subtract your age from 220. If you are 35 years, the maximum heart rate is 220 minus 35 which equals 185 beats per minute (bpm).
  • At a 50 percent exertion level, your target would be 50 percent of your maximum heart rate, which equals 93 bpm. At an 85 percent level of exertion, your target would be 157 bpm. Therefore, the target heart rate that a 35-year-old person would want to reach during exercise is 93 to 157 bpm.

Below age-based maximum heart rate and target heart rate zones are listed.

Age (years) Target heart rate zone (bpm) Maximum heart rate (bpm)
20 100 to 170 200
30 95 to 162 190
35 93 to 157 185
40 `90 to 153 180
45 88 to 149 175
50 85 to 145 170
55 83 to 140 165
60 80 to 136 160
65 78 to 132 155
70 75 to 128 150

The heart rate, also called the pulse, is the number of times the heartbeats per minute (BPM). 

To find your heart rate, check your pulse, which can be felt on your:

  • Wrists
  • Inside of the elbow
  • Side of the neck
  • Top of the foot

Place your finger (not your thumb) over your pulse and count the number of beats in 60 seconds to get your heart rate. 

What is the maximum acceptable heart rate of a 14 year old?
In the U.S., 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease. See Answer

Image Source: iStock Images https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/all-about-heart-rate-pulse https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2172054-overview#a2 All About Heart Rate (Pulse). Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/all-about-heart-rate-pulse Normal Vital Signs. Available at: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2172054-overview#a2 Your Heart Rate. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/watching-rate-monitor?tex=vb3&prop16=vb3. What is Supraventricular Tachycardia?. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/what-is-supraventricular-tachycardia Are OTC Allergy and Cold Medications Making Your Heart Race?. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/otc-allergy-and-cold-medications-may-be-bad-for-your-heart/#:~:text=A%20decongestant%20eases%20congestion%20by,heart%20rate%2C%20or%20skipped%20beats. Does Alcohol Cause AFib?. https://www.webmd.com/hase/atrial-fibrillation/atrial-fibrillation-alcoholeart-dise https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation/what-are-the-types-of-tachycardia https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/about-arrhythmia/tachycardia--fast-heart-rate Target Heart Rates Chart https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates

Tachycardia refers to a faster than normal heart rate. Normal electrical conduction in the heart starts with the generation of electricity in the sinus node in the upper portion of the right atrium. Electricity moves from the sinus node through the atrium. From there, it is transmitted through the AV node to the ventricles. As electricity passes to the ventricles, the heart muscle contracts.

What is Tachycardia?

Tachycardia simply means a fast heart rate. A normal heart rate in a child varies quite a bit based on age as well as activity level. In a normal teenager, the resting heart rate is typically between 60 and 100 beats per minute. With activity, the heart rate may get as high as 200 beats per minute. During sleep, the heart rate can occasionally drop as low as 30-40 beats per minute.

Tachycardia Causes

The most common cause of tachycardia in children and teenagers is sinus tachycardia. This simply means that the sinus node is firing at a fast rate. Most of the time sinus tachycardia is a normal physiologic response. For example, during exercise the heart rate normally increases as the metabolic needs of the body increase. Other conditions which cause an increased metabolic rate may also cause sinus tachycardia, for example fever, infection, or stress. In all of these examples, sinus tachycardia is a normal, expected physiologic response of the body.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is the most common abnormal form of tachycardia that affects children. SVT is most commonly caused by the presence of an extra conducting pathway from the atrium to the ventricles. In conjunction with the AV node, an electrical circuit is established which allows for rapid transmission of electricity in the circuit. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) is one specific form of SVT. Less common forms of abnormal tachycardia seen in children include atrial tachycardia, atrial flutter, junctional tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia.

Tachycardia Symptoms

Because sinus tachycardia is usually a normal physiologic response, most children with sinus tachycardia have no symptoms whatsoever. Children with abnormal tachycardias often feel a sensation of palpitations, or a racing heartbeat. If the heart rate is fast enough, a child may feel dizzy or lightheaded. Rarely syncope or loss of consciousness may occur.

Tachycardia Treatment

Treatment of tachycardia in children depends on the underlying cause. Physiologic sinus tachycardia requires no treatment whatsoever. Tachycardia due to an abnormal heart rhythm, for example SVT, usually requires either medication or a procedure to cure it permanently.

Medically Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD on August 25, 2020

Your child’s vital signs can give you important health clues. Many things can affect the numbers. But if they’re outside the normal range, it could be a sign of possible health issues.

Note that normal vital sign values for children are different than they are for adults. They also vary depending on age, sex, and weight.

The four vital signs are:

  • Body temperature
  • Heart rate
  • Respiration, or breathing, rate
  • Blood pressure

A fever means your child’s temperature is higher than usual. It’s the main way their body fights an infection.

How to check

Use a digital thermometer to take your child’s temperature in the mouth, or rectally in the bottom. A rectal temperature gives the more accurate reading. That’s the way you should do it if your baby is younger than 3 months. With older infants and children, an oral reading is fine unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Always clean the thermometer in soapy water and rinse with cool water before you use it. Never use the same thermometer to take an oral and rectal temperature.

To take a rectal temperature:

  • Place your child on their belly across your lap.
  • Put a small amount of petroleum jelly on the end of a thermometer.
  • Insert it half an inch into the anal opening.
  • Remove the thermometer when it beeps and read the temperature. (It’s normal for the baby to poop after the thermometer is removed.)

To take an oral temperature:

  • Slip the end of the thermometer under your child’s tongue.
  • Have your child close their lips around the thermometer.
  • Remove it when it beeps and check the temperature.

Normal temperature

A normal temperature is 98.6 F if taken in the mouth, and 99.6 F if taken in the bottom. If the oral temperature is above 99.5 F or the rectal reading is 100.4 F or higher, your child has a fever.

Call your doctor ASAP if your baby is younger than 3 months and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 F or higher. Even if your baby doesn’t have any other symptoms, a fever in infants can be serious.

Also called a pulse, this is how many times the heart beats each minute. It’s faster when your child is active and slower when they’re seated or asleep. Your doctor will check the heart rate during well-child visits. If you need to monitor your child’s heart rate because of a medical condition, your doctor will tell you how and how often to check it.

You should also check your child’s pulse if they:

How to check

Make sure your child has been seated for at least 5 minutes before you start. Place your first two fingers on the front of their neck or the inside of the wrist, armpit, or elbow crease. You should feel thumps against your fingers. Set a timer for 30 seconds and count the beats. Double that number, and that’s your child’s heart rate.

Normal heart rate:

  • Infant (to 12 months): 100-160 beats per minute (bpm)
  • Toddler (1-3 years): 90-150 bpm
  • Preschooler (3-5 years): 80-140 bpm
  • School-aged child (5-12 years): 70-120 bpm
  • Adolescent (12-18 years): 60-100 bpm

A heart rate that’s slower than usual can signal a problem. For infants, it can mean:

A slower than usual heart rate in kids can also mean there’s an issue in the structure of their heart.

This is how many breaths your child takes per minute. This number may go up when they’re excited, nervous, in pain, or have a high fever. A fast or slow respiratory rate means your child may have trouble breathing. Call your pediatrician if you have any concerns.

How to check

Set a timer for 30 seconds and count the number of times your child’s chest rises. Double that number to get their respiratory rate.

Normal rate (breaths per minute):

  • Infant (0-12 months): 30-60
  • Toddler (1-3 years): 24-40
  • Preschooler (3-5 years): 22-34
  • School-aged child (5-12 years): 18-30
  • Adolescent (12-18 years): 12-16

If your baby or child’s pulse is fast or they have any of the following symptoms, it could mean they’re having trouble breathing:

  • Bluish color around the mouth
  • Pale or gray skin
  • A grunting sound with each breath out
  • Nose flares
  • Wheezing
  • Sweating
  • Tiredness
  • Upper chest sinks in with each breath
  • Not eating or drinking well
  • Vocalizing less

Respiratory distress is serious. It means your child isn’t getting enough oxygen. This might be because of:

  • An infection
  • Chronic illness
  • A blocked airway

Call your doctor or 911, or get to the emergency room right away. Stay calm and try to keep your child calm while keeping them in a comfortable position.

Blood pressure is the force of blood as it flows through the vessels that move blood from the heart to the body. Children can get high blood pressure just as adults do. If your child grows up with high blood pressure, or hypertension, it could make them more likely to have a stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney disease.

Blood pressure is measured using two numbers:

  • Systolic is the first number. It measures how much pressure is on your artery walls each time your heart beats.
  • Diastolic is the second number. It measures how much pressure is on your artery walls between heartbeats, when your heart is at rest.

Your child might have high blood pressure because of:

  • A heart defect
  • Kidney disease
  • A genetic condition
  • A hormone disorder
  • Being overweight

Hypotension is blood pressure that’s too low. It can make your child feel nauseated, dizzy, or faint.

Your child may have low blood pressure because of:

How to check

Your child’s doctor will start to check blood pressure at age 3. Your child may need to have it checked sooner if they:

If your doctor tells you to check your child’s blood pressure at home, use an automatic monitor with a cuff that fits on the upper arm. Take the monitor with you to your next appointment so your doctor can check that you use it correctly.

Normal levels

These numbers differ for children, depending on their age, height, and sex. The top number is systolic pressure, and the bottom one is diastolic pressure. Both numbers should be below the limit.

For boys:

1 year old: less than 98/52

2 years old: less than 100/55

3 years old: less than 101/58

4 years old: less than 102/60

5 years old: less than 103/63

6 years old: less than 105/66

7 years old: less than 106/68

8 years old: less than 107/69

9 years old: less than 107/70

10 years old: less than 108/72

11 years old: less than 110/74

12 years old: less than 113/75

For girls:

1 year old: less than 98/54

2 years old: less than 101/58

3 years old: less than 102/60

4 years old: less than 103/62

5 years old: less than 104/64

6 years old: less than 105/67

7 years old: less than 106/68

8 years old: less than 107/69

9 years old: less than 108/71

10 years old: less than 109/72

11 years old: less than 111/74

12 years old: less than 114/75

For boys and girls 13 and older: less than 120/80.

If your child’s vital signs are off, you may need to see a doctor. Vital signs can vary based on time of day and the emotional state of your child. If your child has a drastic change, that could be a sign of a problem.

Your doctor will have a better idea of what’s outside of normal and can monitor your child over time if needed.

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