You are likely feeling the pulse in your arteries, which is the rhythmic expansion and contraction of the artery walls as blood is pumped through them. This "bounce" is due to the artery's ability to stretch and return to its normal shape.
Understanding Your Pulse
When your heart beats, it forces blood into your arteries at high pressure. The media (the middle layer of the artery wall) allows the artery to expand to accommodate this surge of blood. After the heart pumps, the artery walls recoil, returning to their normal size. This rhythmic expansion and contraction is what you feel as your pulse.
Where Can You Feel Your Pulse?
You can often feel your pulse in areas where arteries are close to the surface of the skin and over bone. Common locations include:
- Wrist (radial artery): This is the most common place to take your pulse.
- Neck (carotid artery): Located on either side of your neck.
- Inside the elbow (brachial artery): Used to measure blood pressure.
- Groin (femoral artery): Located in the groin area.
- Behind the knee (popliteal artery): Located behind the knee.
- Top of the foot (dorsalis pedis artery): Located on the top of the foot.
What Affects Your Pulse?
Several factors can influence your pulse rate and how strongly you feel it:
- Exercise: Increases heart rate and blood flow, making your pulse more noticeable.
- Stress: Can elevate heart rate and blood pressure.
- Medications: Some medications can affect heart rate.
- Underlying Medical Conditions: Certain conditions can affect blood flow and pulse strength.
- Dehydration: Can lead to a weaker pulse.
When to be Concerned
While feeling your pulse is normal, there are situations where you should seek medical advice:
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia): If your pulse feels erratic or skips beats.
- Very rapid or slow heart rate: Significantly faster or slower than the normal range (60-100 beats per minute at rest).
- Weak or absent pulse: If you have difficulty finding your pulse in certain areas.
- Associated symptoms: Chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting.
In summary, feeling your blood moving is usually just the sensation of your pulse, caused by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of your arteries. However, if you have any concerns about your pulse, it's always best to consult a healthcare professional.
