For your health, you should know these 4 vital signs!

An emergency department doctor will always access a patient’s vital signs before actually seeing the patient.

By learning how vital signs work, you will be able to understand and assess your body condition.

1) Temperature

2) Blood Pressure

3) Respiration Rate

4) Pulse Rate

1) Temperature

Definition

- Degree of heat maintained in the body.

- The body balances between production of heat and heat loss towards the environment.

- When the body temperature rises above 37.6 °C because of an infection,  it usually signifies fever.

- In hot environments or after exercising, your body tries to get rid of excess heat to maintain normal body temperature, through a process called sweating.

- In cold environments, it is critical for your body to preserve heat to maintain the core body temperature.

2) Blood Pressure

Definition

- When your heart contracts, it pumps blood to your body.

- Blood pressure measures the amount of force exerted on the walls of your blood vessels as blood flows throughout your body.

There are two numbers recorded for blood pressure. For instance, 120/80 mmHg.

- Higher number is called systolic pressure. It represents the pressure when your heart contracts to pump blood to the body.

- Lower number is called the diastolic pressure. It represents the pressure between beats when your heart relaxes.

- The normal range for a healthy adult is between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg.

- A blood pressure of >140/90 mmHg indicates high blood pressure (Hypertension). It puts you at greater risk of developing life-threatening conditions such as heart diseases and stroke.

3) Respiration Rate

A person’s respiratory rate is the number of breaths per minute. You can monitor by:

- Counting the number of breaths you take per minute.

- Observing and counting the number of times your chest rises.

- Observe for depth and rhythm.

- May vary with exercise, fever or presence of medical condition.

- Normal adult’s respiratory rate: 12-20 breaths per minute.

- Rapid breathing (tachypnea) can result from conditions such as asthma, anxiety, lung infection or heart disease.

4) Pulse Rate

Pulse rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. It is important to note the pulse strength and regularity of heart rhythm.

- It is easiest to take your pulse at the wrist. As blood flows throughout your body, you can feel your pulse by pressing firmly on your arteries with two fingers.

- Varies with age, exercise, medical condition and emotions.

- A normal healthy adult pulse ranges from 60-100 beats per minute.

- Fast pulse rate: - more than 100 beats per minute is known as tachycardia.

- Slow pulse rate: - less than 60 beats per minute is known as bradycardia.

If you are experiencing tachycardia or bradycardia for long periods of time at rest, you may have an underlying heart condition that requires medical treatment.

Additional Tips

- As a gentle reminder, keep track of your diet

- Observe if there are any changes to your body such as developing shortness of breath, localised itchiness or pain in certain areas. There may be underlying health issues.

- A basic medical screening can be as low as $75 to ensure you are aware of your health status