When you visit the doctor, your healthcare team will measure certain basic processes that keep your body running. These measurements, called vital signs, provide clues about your overall health. The main vital signs are body temperature, pulse rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure.
When one of your vital signs is abnormal, it could be a sign that you are dealing with a health problem. However, what is considered “normal” can change based on factors like gender, age, weight, time of day, and whether you’ve recently eaten.
Your usual body temperature most likely falls somewhere between 36.5°C and 37.2°C. However, it changes throughout the day and throughout the menstrual cycle. Your body temperature may also be lower than usual if you’ve recently eaten or drank something cold.
A high temperature (fever) may be a sign of infection, an inflammatory disease, cancer, or heat exhaustion. Low temperatures can signal low blood sugar levels, thyroid problems, or an inability of your body to properly circulate your blood.
Your pulse rate is a measurement of how many times your heart beats each minute. Healthy adults normally have a pulse between 60 and 100 beats per minute. However, you have a higher pulse rate when you are active or stressed. Additionally, athletes frequently have lower pulse rates than average.
Your pulse may change as your health changes. Dehydration, infection, low levels of red blood cells (anaemia), thyroid conditions, or heart problems may speed up your pulse. Taking certain medications may lower this number.
Your breathing rate, also called respiratory rate, describes how many times you breathe in and out each minute. Most people have a breathing rate of between 12 and 20 breaths per minute.
Your breathing rate may change if you have anxiety, asthma, a lung infection (pneumonia), heart failure, or lung problems. Taking opioid medications or overdosing on drugs can also change how quickly you breathe.
As your heart pumps blood, the amount of force inside your arteries increases. A blood pressure reading measures this force. The first number (systolic blood pressure) measures how hard your blood is pressing against the walls of your blood vessels as your heart beats, while the second number (diastolic blood pressure) describes the force inside your arteries when your heart is resting in between beats.
Normal blood pressure levels include anything less than 120/80 mm Hg. Your blood pressure is elevated if your systolic blood pressure is between 120 and 129 while your diastolic is less than 80. You have high blood pressure (hypertension) if your systolic blood pressure is at least 130 and your diastolic is 90 or more.
Many things can affect blood pressure readings, including your stress levels, medication, and whether you have recently eaten, had caffeine, or need to go to the bathroom.
If your blood pressure is consistently higher than normal, you have an increased risk of health problems such as heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
Having one abnormal reading may not be a cause for concern, since your vital signs can be affected by so many factors. However, if you have multiple readings that fall outside of normal ranges, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether you may have a health condition that needs to be managed.
Your healthcare team can help you learn to measure your vital signs at home using various devices such as a thermometer and blood pressure monitor. Wearable fitness trackers can often track your vital signs as well.