Heart rate 118 on an adult - what does it mean?

Where 118 bpm sits on the adult scale

What a resting pulse of 118 means

Common temporary causes: caffeine or energy drinks, nicotine, alcohol (also the day after), stress or anxiety, fever or infection, dehydration, a large meal, heat, pain, and recent physical activity. Decongestants, asthma inhalers and thyroid medication can also raise the pulse.

Sit quietly for five minutes and measure again. If your resting pulse is repeatedly above 100, causes worth checking include anemia, an overactive thyroid, heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation, and low fitness after illness.

Ranges apply to adults and children aged 10 and older, measured at rest (American Heart Association). By the numbers: at 118 bpm the heart beats about every 0.51 seconds — roughly 169,920 beats a day.

Fast and uneven at 118: is it atrial fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is the most common sustained heart rhythm problem in adults. Instead of a single orderly signal from the heart’s pacemaker, the upper chambers fire in a chaotic way. The lower chambers receive these signals at random and beat irregularly, often fast. A resting pulse of 118 that feels jumbled, with no pattern between beats, is a typical way it shows up.

Doctors describe the AFib pulse as “irregularly irregular”. Ordinary extra beats interrupt a steady rhythm now and then. AFib has no steady rhythm to interrupt: the gaps between beats keep changing.

Why your device and your fingers may disagree

In AFib, some beats come so soon after the last one that the heart has barely filled. They push out so little blood that they cannot be felt at the wrist. A hand count at the wrist can then be lower than the true rate measured with a stethoscope or ECG. Optical watch sensors can struggle with the same irregular beats, and readings may jump around. If your watch offers an irregular rhythm alert or an ECG recording, treat a positive result as a reason to see a doctor, not as a final answer.

What happens after AFib is found

AFib matters for two reasons. A fast, uneven rhythm can cause breathlessness, tiredness and dizziness, and over time weaken the heart. And because blood can pool in the upper chambers, clots may form and travel to the brain, which is why AFib raises the risk of stroke.

After an ECG confirms it, care usually covers three things:

• Stroke prevention: a doctor weighs your age and conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes to decide whether a blood thinner is needed.
• Rate control: medicines that slow the heart to a comfortable level.
• Rhythm control in some people: medicines, an electrical reset called cardioversion, or a catheter ablation.

Risk factors include older age, high blood pressure, heavy drinking, sleep apnea, obesity, an overactive thyroid and other heart disease. Treating these makes AFib less likely to return. Our normal adult heart rate page gives the wider context.

Call 911 if an uneven fast pulse comes with chest pain, fainting, severe breathlessness, or any stroke sign: a drooping face, arm weakness, slurred speech or sudden vision loss. Without those signs, a new irregular rhythm still deserves a doctor’s visit within days, not weeks.

For a reliable resting value, sit quietly for five minutes first and average a few mornings: Resting Heart Rate: What It Says About Your Health. You can also measure by tapping along on the start page.

Nearby values

• 113 bpm
• 114 bpm
• 115 bpm
• 116 bpm
• 117 bpm
• 119 bpm
• 120 bpm
• 121 bpm
• 122 bpm
• 123 bpm

Measured on a child instead? See heart rate 118 in a child.

Sources: American Heart Association: All About Heart Rate · MedlinePlus: Pulse · ACSM position stand on exercise intensity (2011)

This page explains a single reading in general terms. It is not a diagnosis. Heart rate alone cannot tell whether the rhythm is regular or whether the heart is healthy — if you are worried, talk to a doctor.