Vital signs are measurements of your body’s most basic functions. Typically, medical professionals take these measurements to help evaluate a person’s overall physical health, but they are also critical components in detecting possible diseases, monitoring medical conditions and showing signs of progress or recovery.
The five main vital signs regularly monitored by your primary care provider could include:
- Weight
- Respiration
- Temperature
- Heart rate/pulse
- Blood pressure
Customarily, a person’s vitals get taken within a health care or medical setting, but there are several reasons why you may need to track your vitals when at home. Kara Peters, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, clinical supervisor and educator, Parkview Home Health & Hospice, discusses a few of these scenarios while elaborating on the importance of checking your vitals and demonstrates how to take the most common types while in the comfort of your own home.
If any of your vital signs are abnormal for you or you are in distress, please contact your primary care provider or call 911 for immediate medical intervention.
