Whatarevitalsigns?
Vitalsignsaremeasurementsofthebodysmostbasicfunctions.Thefourmainvitalsignsroutinelymonitoredbymedicalprofessionalsandhealthcareprovidersincludethefollowing:
Bodytemperature(体温)
Pulserate(脉率)
Respirationrate(rateofbreathing，呼吸频率)
Bloodpressure(血压Bloodpressureisnotconsideredavitalsign,butisoftenmeasuredalongwiththevitalsigns.)
Vitalsignsareusefulindetectingormonitoringmedicalproblems.Vitalsignscanbemeasuredinamedicalsetting,athome,atthesiteofamedicalemergency,orelsewhere.
Whatisbodytemperature?Thenormalbodytemperatureofapersonvariesdependingongender,recentactivity,foodandfluidconsumption,timeofday,and,inwomen,thestageofthemenstrualcycle(月经周期).Normalbodytemperaturecanrangefrom97.8degreesF(orFahrenheit,equivalentto36.5degreesC,orCelsius)to99degreesF(37.degreesC)forahealthyadult.Apersonsbodytemperaturecanbetakeninanyofthefollowingways:
Orally(口测法).Temperaturecanbetakenbymouthusingeithertheclassicglassthermometer(玻璃体温计),orthemoremoderndigitalthermometers(电子体温计，数字体温计)thatuseanelectronicprobetomeasurebodytemperature.
Rectally(肛测法).Temperaturestakenrectally(usingaglassordigitalthermometer)tendtobe0.5to0.7degreesFhigherthanwhentakenbymouth.
Axillary(腋测法).Temperaturescanbetakenunderthearmusingaglassordigitalthermometer.Temperaturestakenbythisroutetendtobe0.3to0.4degreesFlowerthanthosetemperaturestakenbymouth.
Byear(耳测法).Aspecialthermometercanquicklymeasurethetemperatureoftheeardrum(鼓膜),whichreflectsthebodyscoretemperature(thetemperatureoftheinternalorgans).
Byskin(皮测法).Aspecialthermometercanquicklymeasurethetemperatureoftheskinontheforehead.
Bodytemperaturemaybeabnormalduetofever(hightemperature)orhypothermia(lowtemperature，低温).Afeverisindicatedwhenbodytemperaturerisesaboutonedegreeormoreoverthenormaltemperatureof98.6degreesFahrenheit,accordingtotheAmericanAcademyofFamilyPhysicians.Hypothermiaisdefinedasadropinbodytemperaturebelow95degreesFahrenheit.
Whatisthepulserate?Thepulserateisameasurementoftheheartrate,orthenumberoftimestheheartbeatsperminute.Astheheartpushesbloodthroughthearteries,thearteriesexpandandcontractwiththeflowoftheblood.Takingapulsenotonlymeasurestheheartrate,butalsocanindicatethefollowing:
Heartrhythm(心律)
Strengthofthepulse(脉搏强度)
Thenormalpulseforhealthyadultsrangesfrom60tobeatsperminute.Thepulseratemayfluctuateandincreasewithexercise,illness,injury,andemotions.Femalesages1andolder,ingeneral,tendtohavefasterheartratesthandomales.Athletes,suchasrunners,whodoalotofcardiovascularconditioning,mayhaveheartratesnear40beatsperminuteandexperiencenoproblems.
Howtocheckyourpulse
Astheheartforcesbloodthroughthearteries,youfeelthebeatsbyfirmlypressingonthearteries,whicharelocatedclosetothesurfaceoftheskinatcertainpointsofthebody.Thepulsecanbefoundonthesideoftheneck,ontheinsideoftheelbow,oratthewrist.Formostpeople,itiseasiesttotakethepulseatthewrist(手腕).Ifyouusethelowerneck,besurenottopresstoohard,andneverpressonthepulsesonbothsidesofthelowerneckatthesametimetopreventblockingbloodflowtothebrain.Whentakingyourpulse:
Usingthefirstandsecondfingertips(指尖),pressfirmlybutgentlyonthearteriesuntilyoufeelapulse.
Begincountingthepulsewhentheclockssecondhandisonthe1.
Countyourpulsefor60seconds(orfor15secondsandthenmultiplybyfourtocalculatebeatsperminute).
Whencounting,donotwatchtheclockcontinuously,butconcentrateonthebeatsofthepulse.
Ifunsureaboutyourresults,askanotherpersontocountforyou.
Ifyourdoctorhasorderedyoutocheckyourownpulseandyouarehavingdifficultyfindingit,consultyourdoctorornurseforadditionalinstruction.
Whatistherespirationrate?Therespirationrateisthenumberofbreathsapersontakesperminute.Therateisusuallymeasuredwhenapersonisatrestandsimplyinvolvescountingthenumberofbreathsforoneminutebycountinghowmanytimesthechestrises.Respirationratesmayincreasewithfever,illness,andothermedicalconditions.Whencheckingrespiration,itisimportanttoalsonotewhetherapersonhasanydifficultybreathing.
Normalrespirationratesforanadultpersonatrestrangefrom1to16breathsperminute.
Whatisbloodpressure?Bloodpressureistheforceofthebloodpushingagainstthearterywallsduringcontractionandrelaxationoftheheart.Eachtimetheheartbeats,itpumpsbloodintothearteries,resultinginthehighestbloodpressureastheheartcontracts.Whentheheartrelaxes,thebloodpressurefalls.
Twonumbersarerecordedwhenmeasuringbloodpressure.Thehighernumber,orsystolicpressure(收缩压),referstothepressureinsidethearterywhentheheartcontractsandpumpsbloodthroughthebody.Thelowernumber,ordiastolicpressure(舒张压),referstothepressureinsidethearterywhentheheartisatrestandisfillingwithblood.Boththesystolicanddiastolicpressuresarerecordedas"mmHg"(millimetersofmercury，毫米汞柱).Thisrecordingrepresentshowhighthemercurycolumninanold-fashionedmanualbloodpressuredevice(calledamercurymanometer水银测压计orsphygmomanometer血压计)israisedbythepressureoftheblood.Today,yourdoctorsofficeismorelikelytouseasimpledialforthismeasurement.
Highbloodpressure,orhypertension,directlyincreasestheriskofheartattack,heartfailure,andstroke.Withhighbloodpressure,thearteriesmayhaveanincreasedresistanceagainsttheflowofblood,causingthehearttopumphardertocirculatetheblood.
Bloodpressureiscategorizedasnormal,elevated,orstage1orstagehighbloodpressure:
Normalbloodpressureissystolicoflessthan10anddiastolicoflessthan80(10/80)
Elevatedbloodpressureissystolicof10to19anddiastoliclessthan80
Stage1highbloodpressureissystolicistoordiastolicbetween80to89
Stagehighbloodpressureiswhensystolicisorhigherorthediastolicis90orhigher
Thesenumbersshouldbeusedasaguideonly.Asinglebloodpressuremeasurementthatishigherthannormalisnotnecessarilyanindicationofaproblem.Yourdoctorwillwanttoseemultiplebloodpressuremeasurementsoverseveraldaysorweeksbeforemakingadiagnosisofhighbloodpressureandstartingtreatment.Askyourproviderwhentocontacthimorherifyourbloodpressurereadingsarenotwithinthenormalrange.
Beforeyoumeasureyourbloodpressure:TheAmericanHeartAssociation(美国心脏病协会)re