Your vital signs measure your body’s basic functions. These measurements are termed “vital” as their measurement and assessment is the critical first step for any clinical evaluation. Vitals display a snapshot of what’s going on inside your body and provide crucial information about your organs. Abnormalities in vitals can also be a clue to illness or diseases that can be hurting the organ systems in your body. Vital signs can be monitored in a medical setting or at home using vital signs’ monitoring equipment.
Monitoring health vitals after the age of 35 is important because the risk of developing certain health conditions increases as we age. By tracking key health indicators, we can detect potential health problems early on and take steps to prevent or manage them before they become more serious.
Some of the vitals that are commonly monitored include; blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and body mass index (BMI). These measurements can provide important information about our overall health and help us identify any potential warning signs of diseases.
Your heart rate is a snapshot of your fitness level, emotional wellbeing, and heart health. It measures how many times your heart beats per minute. A healthy resting heart rate is between 60 and 100beats per minute. Vital signs monitoring devices allow you to track your heart rate and determine the average heart rate for your body. Fluctuations in heart rate are due to: Dehydration, Inactivity, Chronic stress, Overcaffeination, Age, Smoking, Air temperature, Emotions and Medications. Recognizing when your heart rate is high and taking measures to keep it at a healthy level reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and other medical problems.
Blood pressure measures the force in which blood is pushed against artery walls when your heart contracts and relaxes. Monitoring blood pressure allows you to assess heart health. Two numbers are recorded when measuring blood pressure. The upper number displays the pressure inside the artery when the heart pumps blood to the body whereas the lower number represents artery pressure when the heart is at rest. Abnormal blood pressure signals underlying problems like heart disease and can lead to a medical emergency like a stroke. Keeping an eye on your blood pressure can determine if you need to make lifestyle adjustments or require medicinal treatment.
Your height and weight are the best physical ways to evaluate your overall health. Abnormal changes in height and weight tell us something isn’t right. Height fluctuations signal bone loss and increase your risk of developing osteoporosis as you age. Weight increases or decreases indicate a wide range of problems, from an underlying medical problem (like thyroid disease) to poor lifestyle habits. Knowing the normal height and weight for your age and gender can help you make healthy changes and enhance your overall wellbeing.
Your respiration rate is the number of times you breathe in one minute. It’s calculated by counting the number of times the chest rises. Normal respiration rates for adults range from 12 to 20breathes a minute. Monitoring respiration rates can detect early signs of a respiratory illness or allergy. Respiration levels also increase due to an infection. Tracking your respiration levels can help you detect an illness before it infects the rest of your body.
In summary, by monitoring health vitals after the age of 35years, we can take proactive steps to maintain our health and potentially prevent or manage chronic diseases. Regular check-ups with a healthcare provider are an important part of this process.