So today, we’ll be talking about Vital Signs. Vital signs are important signs that indicate the status of the body’s vital functions. They are the evidence of the current physical functioning of the body. They provide critical information that is ‘vital’ to life. We can say they are signs that show a person is living and the condition they are living in.
This explains the reason when you walk into an hospital, the first thing that’s done when you’re being attended to is “taking your vital signs”. There are four basic vital signs and the acronym T, P, R, Bp meaning Temperature, Pulse, Respiration and Blood pressure.
Questions like- “Can I take vital signs yourself”, What do I need and how do I do it are frequently asked. No worries I’ll be your answer guide today.
Yes! You can take your vital signs yourself provided you have the necessary equipments.
Equipments needed are the digital thermometer for temperature, a stop watch for respiration and your digital sphygmomanometer which measures both Blood pressure and Pulse rate.
Note that all the equipments recommended are digital, which makes life easy.
HOW DO YOU DO IT
- Temperature: Recommended method is the under the armpit method(auxiliary method)
– Place the tip of the thermometer in the center of the armpit.
– Tuck your arm snugly (closely) against your body.
– Leave the thermometer in place for about 1 minute, until you hear the “beep”.
– Remove the thermometer and read the temperature.
Note– Normal temperature rate is 36.1°C-37.2°
2) Respiration rate :The respiration rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute. The rate is usually measured when a person is at rest and simply involves counting the number of breaths for one minute by counting how many times the chest rises followed by one exhalation when the chest falls.
Note- Normal respiration rate is 12-20
3) Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate:
- Wait 30 minutes after eating or using caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco products.
- Go to the bathroom and empty your bladder.
- Rest for 3 to 5 minutes and do not talk.
- Sit in a comfortable position, with your legs and ankles uncrossed and your back supported.
- Elevate your left arm to the level of your heart. Place it on a table or desk and sit still.
- Wrap the cuff around the upper part of your bare arm. The cuff should be smooth and snug.
- There should be enough room for you to slip one fingertip under the cuff.
- Check the placement of the cuff. The bottom edge of it should be 1 inch above the crease of your elbow.
- Wrap the cuff around the upper part of your bare arm. The cuff should be smooth and snug.There should be enough room for you to slip one fingertip under the cuff.
- Check the placement of the cuff. The bottom edge of it should be 1 inch above the crease of your elbow.
- Turn the power on to start the unit.
- Inflate the cuff.
- After the cuff inflates, the automatic device will slowly let air out.
- Look at the display screen to get your blood pressure and Pulse rate reading.
- It will show your systolic and diastolic pressures.
- Write down the measurement in your record.
- If you need to repeat measurements, wait 2-3 minutes before starting again.
Note- Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher while normal pulse rate is 60-100.
Did you know it was so easy? All you need to do is get your equipments ready and you can check your vital signs in the comfort of your home yourself.
Please don’t forget to reach out to a health care practitioner if the readings/measurements are abnormal.
Stay Healthy.
Stay Safe.
Stay Alive.
Author Profile
- Adegoroye Adetoke Ann is a student Nurse at Babcock University and a member of other groups such as Coilluminators, Libcare Initiative amongst others. Adetoke loves to describe herself as ‘the beloved of God’, and loves to share that love with others.
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