KNOW YOUR NUMBERS
Just keep swimming
Just keep swimming
Just keep swimming
—-Dory——-Finding Nemo(2003)
Do you know how we sit back and hope that we’re going to be healthy throughout our golden years
Doesn’t always work that way, does it? we need to have check ups every now and then and when we go to the doctor, we have to present with our best health or else .
A lot of us dream of staying physically and mentally fit as we age , with the focus on maintaining vitality and preventing health issues When we present to the doctor for a check up , the doctor looks for specific numbers that’s going to show that our health is not deteriorating but moving forward even as we become more active. Today we’re going to discuss some of those numbers and exactly what they mean to our health.
Temperature
A normal body temperature is :97.8F-99.1F(98.6F average) 37degrees Celsius
Our overall body temperature has a lot to do with how well we function metabolically and overall,any significant deviation needs to be checked out especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms
Pulse or heart rate
A normal adult Pulse or heart rate should be anywhere between 72 and 80 beats per minute (bpm) You can see a lower number if you are an athlete 60 bpm or less or if we measure that of a child which will be higher 100 bpm or more. Any sustained arrhythmia or irregular heart rate where your heart beats too fast or too slowly or even in an irregular rhythm should be checked out
Blood pressure
another number your doctor will need to know is blood pressure, which ideally should be at or less than 120/80 or if your blood pressure is beginning to elevate the range is 120/80 to 139/89 and high blood pressure is over140/90. Known as hypertension or one of the silent killers, early detection and management of high blood pressure is key to further complications and maintaining good health. Please see our extensive blog on high blood pressure.
Respiratory rate
respiratory rate is 12 to 20 breast per minute(bpm). It’s measures how many times you take a breath in a one minute. It assesses your lung function and has an important impact on how well your heart is working the lower the better Check our blog for more in depth information
Cholesterol
Total cholesterol should be less than200 mg/dL.HDL(good cholesterol )should measure between 35 to 60mg/dl. LDL(bad cholesterol )should measure between 65 and 100mg/dl
Again the blog
Triglycerides
A type of fat circulating in the blood should be between 45 to 150 mg/dL. High levels of triglycerides along with high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease
Fasting blood sugar
Or blood glucose should be 80 and 100 mg/dl after eight hours of not eating
This range is accepted as normal higher numbers or higher ranges suggests you may have an issue with diabetes
Please read” diabetes the other great silent killer” yes it’s a blog
HEMOGLOBIN A1c(hbA1c
This test or number is the average of your blood sugar level over the past three months
Normal is below 5.5%
Prediabetes:5.7%-6.4%
Diabetes:6.5% or higher
Body Mass Index (BMI)
This is a calculation used to assess whether. A person has a healthy body weight based on their height and weight unless the doctor know if you are overweight underweight or just right or even obese.
BMI= your weight in pounds x703or kilograms
height in inches or meters squared
If your calculation is less than 18.5 then you are underweight
If your calculation is between 18.5 and 24.9 that’s suggests a normal weight
If your calculation is between 25 to 29, then you are overweight
If your calculations are over 30, then you are obese
Although this method does not distinguish between fat and muscles (muscle being heavier than fat)and does not take into consideration, age and sex differences, it does give a general idea of a person’s weight.
There are a few alternatives to the BMI scale to list to list them. There is the waste to height ratio, the body, fat percentage, and waste to hip ratio, which also allows us to alert us to any higher risk of heart, disease, and diabetes or risk of any cardiovascular issues . I prefer the waist to height ratio.
I prefer the waist to height ratio where you measure the circumference of the waste and divided by your height.
Other numbers, your doctor may need to know And you will definitely need a blood test for are:
Thyroid levels, which includes T3 T4, TRH and TSH -hormones that regulate metabolism growth and overall energy levels
The C-reactive protein level -this is a Measure of how much inflammation is in your body and turtles. The doctor of any inflammation inflammatory risks of disease like lupus, inflammatory, bowel disease, cancer, obesity, arthritis, cardiovascular, or immune deficiencies.
Total blood count or complete blood count -this test evaluate your overall health and may detect a wide range of disorders, including anemia infections, and various disease
Vitamin D levels -The need to know here is to assess bone health, immune system health, and how the body regulates, calcium and phosphorus
Vitamin B levels, especially niacin and B12
Knowing these numbers will help to assess how healthy you are and also gives a very good picture of where your health is headed. they are reliable tools in our aim for maintaining a healthy and prosperous lifestyle.