Final answer:
Vital signs are important health indicators including blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Measuring these can reveal potential diseases or health concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The vital signs of a patient are key indicators of their physiological status and include blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, and more. Measuring blood pressure, one of the most common medical examinations, provides insights into the health of the cardiovascular system. The pressure is typically reported in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) with two numbers, for example, 120/80 mm Hg, representing the systolic pressure over the diastolic pressure. The systolic pressure is the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts, while the diastolic pressure is when the heart is at rest. The heart rate is usually measured in beats per minute, and a normal resting rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. The body's temperature is another vital sign, with a normal value around 37°C or 98.6°F. Any significant deviation in these vital signs can be indicative of disease or health issues.