In many Kenyan homes, “I feel fine” is treated as proof of health. It isn’t. Health is often a silent negotiation happening inside your organs long before pain arrives. Vital signs are the earliest, simplest “language” the body uses to declare distress — and they are measurable.

Clinicians call them “vitals” for a reason: blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing rate, temperature and oxygen saturation are not trivia. They are early warning systems. The tragedy is that many people only learn this after an avoidable emergency — a stroke, a diabetic crisis, a severe infection — when the body’s alarms have already been screaming for days.

Blood Pressure: The quiet force that can break what it’s meant to sustain

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against artery walls. Too high, over time, it hardens and damages arteries, reducing oxygen-rich blood flow to organs. The World Health Organization warns that uncontrolled hypertension can harm the heart and can also lead to stroke and kidney failure. A person can carry dangerous blood pressure for years without “feeling” it — a reality that makes routine checks non-negotiable.

In clinical guidance from the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, blood pressure is considered high when you have consistent readings of 130 mmHg systolic or higher, or 80 mmHg diastolic or higher. That word “consistent” matters: one reading is a snapshot; a pattern is a diagnosis.

• Action: If your BP is repeatedly elevated, don’t “wait for symptoms.” Start a plan: diet changes, activity, and medical review.
• Emergency red flag: Very high BP with chest pain, severe headache, weakness on one side, confusion, or vision changes needs urgent care.

Pulse: Fast, slow, irregular — and what it can mean

Your pulse reflects how hard the heart is working and how steady its rhythm is. A racing pulse can be fever, dehydration, anxiety, pain, blood loss, infection, or a heart rhythm disorder. A very slow pulse can be athletic conditioning — or a conduction problem. Irregular rhythms can be benign, but they can also be atrial fibrillation, a major stroke risk factor.

Investigative reality: Many people normalise palpitations. Yet repeated “fluttering” episodes — especially with dizziness, fainting, or chest tightness — are a clinical story worth recording, not dismissing.

Oxygen Saturation: The number that changes what “breathless” means

Pulse oximeters became common during COVID-19, but their value remains. Oxygen levels that are low — especially with fast breathing, confusion, bluish lips, or exhaustion — can signal severe respiratory illness and demand urgent evaluation. If breathlessness is new, rapidly worsening, or accompanied by chest pain, treat it as an emergency until proven otherwise.

Temperature: Fever is not the disease — it is evidence

Fever is a sign of inflammation, usually infection. The key question isn’t just “Do I have fever?” but: How long, how high, and with what symptoms? Fever with stiff neck, confusion, difficulty breathing, persistent vomiting, severe dehydration, severe abdominal pain, or rash that spreads quickly needs urgent review.

Breathing Rate: The vital sign people rarely count

Fast breathing is a hidden clue. It can appear in pneumonia, asthma attacks, sepsis, panic attacks, diabetic crises, and heart failure. If someone is breathing faster than normal at rest and looks exhausted, do not rely on reassurance. Count breaths for 60 seconds — and escalate if it’s clearly abnormal.

The newsroom checklist: What to measure at home (and how often)

• Blood pressure: 2–3 times per week if at risk (age 30+, overweight, family history), otherwise at least monthly.
• Temperature: When unwell; track trends.
• Pulse: When symptomatic (palpitations, dizziness), after rest.
• Oxygen: If you have respiratory symptoms, chronic lung disease, or severe flu-like illness.

When “normal” is a trap

Some emergencies evolve in waves. A person can have a “normal” reading at noon and deteriorate by evening. That is why clinicians trust patterns, not single numbers. If symptoms are severe, escalating, or unusual for you, seek care even if one number looks fine.

Bottom line: Vitals do not replace a clinician — but they can stop a preventable crisis. In a health system stretched by queues and costs, the smartest step is catching illness early, when it is cheaper and easier to treat.