Case DescriptionLaura discovers that Lamont's blood pressure is high. His systolic and diastolic blood pressures are above the normal range of 120/80. A blood pressure range of 156/94 would indicate symptoms of stage 1 hypertension. Therefore Laura would advise Mr. Lamont to adopt a healthy lifestyle to improve his blood pressure level (Meenakshisundaram, Sethilkumaran, Grootveld, & Thirumalaikolundusubramanian, 2013). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayMr. Lamont's oral temperature is within the normal range of 99.8°. A slight increase in body temperature, up to 1°F above normal oral temperature, may have been caused by daytime temperatures. The normal oral temperature for adults is 98.6° F, which is equivalent to 37° C. Mr. Lamont's temperature, therefore, does not indicate any signs of infection. The apical pulse is elevated compared to the average adult male, between 60 and 100 beats per minute. minute. Mr. Lamont's elevated heart rate may indicate tachycardia, a condition associated with dyspnea, which is shortness of breath as seen in Mr. Lamont. The respiratory rate in this case is very high. The normal breathing rate for adults ranges from 12 to 18 breaths per minute. While not definitive evidence of illness, the extremely high respiratory rate manifests serious health concerns for Mr. Lamont. Pulse oximetry for Mr. Lamont is within the normal range of 95 to 100%, and therefore an indication of healthy blood oxygen levels and no concern of hypoxemia. How does smoking affect blood pressure? Cigarette smoke contains nicotine, which is the main precursor to smoking-related heart problems. The chemicals in tobacco damage the lining of the artery walls causing them to become damaged. Subsequently, the fatty substances accumulate, causing atheroma, i.e. the degeneration of the arterial walls, with consequent risk of heart attack due to thrombosis and limitation of blood flow. Smoking leads to an immediate increase in body blood pressure of up to 6 mmHg. Nicotine is an adrenergic agonist that mediates the release of local and systemic catecholamines. Adrenaline, one of the central catecholamines, makes the heart beat faster. Furthermore, carbon monoxide present in tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, signaling hypoxia. Therefore, the heart must pump harder to compensate for the deficiency. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Smoking may have been the cause of elevated respiratory problems. The nicotine in smoking leads to damage to the inner lining of the arteries causing blockages that force the heart to pump faster (Dinas, Koutedkis, & Flouris, 2013). Cigarette smoking leads to increased levels of carbon monoxide in the system pushing the respiratory rate to increase to compensate for the oxygen deficit in both tissues and blood.