INPUT ARTICLE: Article: While some serious fractures poke through the skin (called an open fracture), most remain hidden underneath the skin (called closed fractures). Take a look at the injured person's limbs and neck and check for unnatural angles or positions that likely indicate a fracture or dislocation. Look for a limb that looks shorter, twisted or bent in an unnatural looking way. It's important not to move the neck, head or spine if it looks crooked or misaligned because you could cause permanent nerve damage and make the situation worse. While looking for deformities, compare side-to-side (left leg to right leg, for example) to better notice anything strange or unusual that's indicative of a broken bone. Noticing an open fracture is much easier due to it poking out of the skin. Open fractures are considered more serious due to significant blood loss and risk of infection. You may have to loosen or remove some clothes to check thoroughly, but make sure to ask permission if the person is conscious. A fractured bone is a major injury that requires lots of force, so expect to see swelling, redness and/or bruising. The inflammation and color changes develop quickly near the fracture site, so you shouldn't have to wait very long to see them. Again, some clothing removal is likely necessary to see swelling. Swelling produces a visible lumpiness, inflating or ballooning of tissue around the broken bone, but don't mistake it for fat deposit. Swelling makes the skin tight and warm to the touch, whereas fat is jiggly and cool to the touch. Swelling and color changes happen due to broken blood vessels that bleed into surrounding areas beneath the skin. Red, purple and dark blue are common colors associated with broken bones. An open fracture causes external (visible) bleeding, which should be easy to see because it will soak through most types of fabrics pretty quickly. Although broken bones tend to be very painful (even small hairline / stress fractures), using pain to gauge an injury in an emergency situation can be tricky. First of all, the person may feel varying degrees of pain all over her body, depending on what happened to her. Secondly, the person may be unconscious or in shock and be unable to answer your questions or pinpoint any pain. So, certainly ask the injured person about her pain, but don't rely on it to check for a fracture. Gently touch (palpate) the person's limbs and torso (especially around the ribs) and look for any wincing if she is conscious but not communicating clearly. If the person is unconscious, then a pain assessment can't be done. Pain sensations can be greatly enhanced (from fear) or reduced (from adrenaline) when people are hurt, so it's not always reliable for an injury assessment. If the injured person is conscious and alert, ask him to carefully and slowly move arms, hands, feet and legs. If he has lots of difficulty and pain with movement, then a fracture or dislocation is possible. You may also hear a grating or cracking noise, which indicates the broken pieces of the bone are rubbing together. Ask him to start with wiggling his toes, then bending his knees, then lifting his legs off the ground, then moving his hands and arms. Even if the person can move his limbs (suggesting the spinal cord has not been injured), there may be damage to the bones of the spine. Unless it is necessary to get the person out of immediate danger, patients should not be moved until assessed by a medical professional due to the risk of paralyzing a patient. Loss of strength in a limb, even with some movement, is another indication of a fracture or dislocation, or a spine or nerve injury. Typically when a bone is broken, especially the larger upper bones of the arms and legs, nerves are also injured or at least stretched and irritated. This produces electric-like pain, but also numbness or "pins and needles" below the site of the injury. Ask the injured person about the sensations in her hands and feet. Loss of sensation in the limbs indicate some type of nerve involvement, either in a peripheral nerve running down the leg / arm, or a spinal nerve within the spinal column. In addition to numbness and pins and needles, she may also feel strange temperature changes either too cold or burning hot sensations.

SUMMARY: Check for a crooked limb. Look for swelling and redness. Try to assess the pain. Notice difficulty moving body parts. Ask about numbness and tingling.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Some medications can cause high blood pressure. If your medication is causing hypertension, your doctor may be able to change your medication or help you manage this side effect. Talk to your doctor to find out if your medication is an issue and what you can do to improve your health.For example, birth control pills, pain medications, certain antidepressants, and over-the-counter cold medications can raise your blood pressure. You may be able to manage your blood pressure by sticking to your diet and lifestyle changes. However, this isn't always possible. You may need to take medication to lower your blood pressure. Ask your doctor about your treatment options.There are several different treatments for high blood pressure, depending on your needs. Your doctor will explain each treatment option to you and help you decide which one is right for you.

SUMMARY:
Consult your doctor if medication may be causing your hypertension. Ask about medication if your blood pressure remains high.