2009-02-07&2009-02-09 脉搏快有问题？

So how is it, doc? It goes alright? Good. OK. I have my pulse checked coz Jim from Texas says his pulse is fast, really fast and he'd like to know if he should worry about it. Is a fast pulse an indication of anything specific?

Well, you'd know the normal pulse rate is set to be between 80 and 100. Anything more rapid than that is abnormal¹. Well, there are things you know that cause a fast pulse, you get excited, you are fearful, you are anxious, you are stressed, you have fever. Those are all things that give you a fast pulse. But having a fast pulse all the time when you are just sitting around is not right.

The first thing I suggest you have checked is your thyroid. An overactive thyroid will give you a rapid pulse. There are other causes and you have to determine whether the rapidity, the speed of the pulse is associated with an irregularity. I mean, is the pulse rapid but regular, bong bong bong, or is it irregular bong bong bongbongbong bong, that would be atrial fibrillation. So the first thing you have to determine is if your pulse is regular.

Now I'm assuming that your pulse is regular. Anaemia will cause it. If your thyroid is normal, have your blood checked because anaemia causes a rapid heart rate. In women there is a very common abnormality of, which is not a dangerous one in most cases. It's called mitral valve² prolapse. It's a deformity of one of the valves³ in the heart and some women with mitral valve prolapse have a rapid pulse.

Also medications can do it. If you drink a lot of coffee, your pulse is gonna be rapid, and smoking can increase it too and other medications that you are taking. So the first thing to do if you think you have a rapid pulse, count it and then give that number to your doctor, see whether it's regular. If it's irregular, you should have an electrical cardiogram to see if there are extra beats. But that's the story we'll...

And I remember when I was a candy striper, don't use your thumb, 'cause it has its own pulse. (Why doctors use their fingers? Yes. Smart! OK. Alright.)

1 abnormal   

adj.反常的，不正常的，不规则的

参考例句：

• This warm weather is abnormal for February.二月里这种温暖的天气不太正常。
• That is simply abnormal.那简直是反常的。

2 valve   

n.阀，阀门，电子管

参考例句：

• The exhaust valve on my car has burnt out.我汽车上的排气阀烧掉了。
• The connecting rod may drive a valve stem directly.连杆可以直接带动阀门的把柄。

3 valves   

n.阀( valve的名词复数 )；真空管；（管乐器的）活栓；（心脏的）瓣膜

参考例句：

• The heart has valves to let blood flow in and out of it. 心脏有瓣膜控制血液流进流出。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The engineering gang fell earnestly to work on jammed valves. 轮机组都起劲地埋头修理堵塞的阀门。 来自辞典例句