White Coat Hypertension: The Power of the Mind
The power of the mind is really an incredible thing. If you have watched television or movies long enough, chances are you have heard of something called a placebo effect. This is the incredible ability for a person to be ‘cured’ of an ailment simply through the power of his or her mind. A placebo is a sugar pill that a patient is told to take, one they believe to be a powerful drug of some kind that will heal them. When a person believes something strongly enough, the effect will actually take place in the body. When blood pressure is concerned, the power of the mind is also an important player in the health game. The effect, in this case, is called white coat hypertension.
If you are not aware, hypertension is the term used to describe an elevated blood pressure, usually to dangerous levels. White coat hypertension is the effect that occurs when a person is having their blood pressure checked in a clinical setting. Whether a person is nervous just because he or she is in a hospital or if they truly believe there will be something wrong with their blood pressure, they will show an elevated blood pressure that does not reflect any state of health. Simply put, white coat hypertension is a false high rate of blood pressure brought upon by someone simply being in a hospital setting to get his or her blood pressure checked.
It’s fairly easy to spot a person suffering from white coat hypertension because they will normally seem anxious or exhibit other behaviors that make them seem uncomfortable with where they are. A person suffering from white coat hypertension will also not exhibit any signs that there is something wrong with them, whereas if a person is actually suffering from high blood pressure, there will be other signs that there is something wrong with them.
In order to help eliminate white coat hypertension, many people are urged to try at home forms of blood pressure measurement. These are usually inexpensive and are known to be just as effective as a trip to a doctor when you want to regulate your blood pressure. When a person is at home, they are generally much more comfortable with their surroundings and are less likely to be anxious about their results. Thus, white coat hypertension will most likely not come into effect. This is a good solution if you believe you are suffering from white coat hypertension.
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