The Vital signs they are those that measure different frequencies of the body and, therefore, show us if it is working correctly or not.
They are generally measured in a medical check-up or in a check-up medical consultation, although they are also usually reviewed when a patient goes to the emergency room after an emergency.
Important vital signs include blood pressure, heart rate or pulse, breathing rate, and temperature.
As we age, vital signs they can change depending on the health of each person. As explained by Medline Plus, some diseases or health problems can cause changes in one or more of the vital signs.
Also, some medicines used to treat health problems in older people can affect vital signs, such as digoxin, a medicine used to treat heart failure, or beta-blockers, which are blood pressure medicines. blood pressure that can cause a slowing of the pulse.
Therefore, when we get older, it is important check vital signs with a doctor in order to diagnose any health problems you may have.
In addition to vital signs, as people get older they can also experience changes in their organs, tissues, cells, heart, blood vessels, and lungs.
Table of Contents
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is responsible for measure blood force against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is measured with two numbers. The first number is the pressure when the heart beats and pumps blood, and the second is when the heart is at rest between beats.
A normal blood pressure reading for adults it should be less than 120/80 and greater than 90/60. However, if it is much higher or much lower than these numbers, it may cause some kind of problem.
As we get older, people may experience different changes in blood pressure. For example, standing up too quickly can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure that ends up causing dizziness, which is what we call orthostatic hypotension.
With age it is also more common to develop high blood pressure or hypertension. Also, other related problems can be a very slow or very fast pulse and heart rhythm problems such as atrial fibrillation.
Body temperature
Temperature is responsible for measuring how hot or cold the body is. When the body temperature is higher than normal, more than 37 ºC, a phenomenon called fever.
normal body temperature does not usually change significantly with the age. However, as we age it can become more difficult to control temperature, as a decrease in the amount of fat under the skin makes it more difficult to maintain body heat.
That is why many older people have colder and they need more layers of clothing to feel warm.
On the other hand, aging decreases the body’s ability to perspire putting the person at risk of overheating and heat stroke, especially in summer.
In addition, fever in older people is much more dangerous than in younger people, since it is usually the first symptom of an illness or infection.
heart rate
Heart rate or pulse is the vital sign that measures how fast the heart beats. A common problem that alters the heart rhythm can be arrhythmiamore common in older people than in young people.
Maintaining a normal heart rate will depend on factors such as age, amount of exercise, time spent on your feet, medications, and weight.
As we age, the pulse rate stays more or less the same, although when an older person exercises, it may take longer for the pulse to rise, and then longer to fall again.
Breathing frequency
Finally, the respiratory rate is responsible for measure breathing. Slow or rapid breathing can be a sign of a serious breathing problem.
Respiratory rate generally does not change with age, although lung function usually decreases as people get older.
This information does not replace in any case the diagnosis or prescription by a doctor. It is important to go to a specialist when symptoms appear in case of illness and never self-medicate.
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