Top 3 questions to ask if you were found to have high blood pressure by your doctor
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is a silent condition that often goes undetected until it causes serious health complications. The mere mention of high blood pressure can cause a lot of anxiety and fear in patients. A common scenario is when a patient goes to see their doctor for a routine visit or an unrelated complaint and their blood pressure is measured. If the reading is high, the doctor may shake their head and say that the patient should come back again next week for another reading. If the reading is high again, the patient may be put on medication.
This can be a scary and overwhelming experience for patients, who may immediately start researching high blood pressure online and come across horror stories of how it can cause strokes, heart attacks, or kidney failure. When the patient goes back for another reading, they may be so anxious that their blood pressure is even higher, which leads to more anxiety and the prospect of taking medication for the rest of their life.
Whitecoat hypertension is a condition in which a person’s blood pressure is elevated in a medical setting, such as a doctor’s office, but is normal outside of that setting. This can be caused by anxiety or stress associated with visiting a doctor, and is often referred to as “office hypertension.”
It is important to understand that blood pressure is not just a number, but it is a symptom of something else that is going on in the body. The aim should be to try and identify the cause of the high blood pressure and treat it. It doesn’t make sense to treat the number if it is a sign of something else, because if you just treat the number then you are missing the underlying problem.
Here are three questions that you should ask your doctor before worrying about your blood pressure:
- What is my true, accurate blood pressure?
The first thing to know is that blood pressure fluctuates wildly in everyone throughout the day and night and it depends on many things such as stress and exercise. It is important to get an accurate measurement of your blood pressure, rather than relying on a single measurement taken in a doctor’s office.
- Is my blood pressure high for me?
We are all different, and therefore it doesn’t make sense to rely on a single value to define us. Instead of asking if your blood pressure is high, ask if it is high for you.
- What is the underlying cause of my high blood pressure?
If your blood pressure is high, it is important to identify the underlying cause of it and treat it. High blood pressure can be caused by a variety of factors such as obesity, smoking, stress, and certain medications.
In conclusion, high blood pressure can be a scary and overwhelming condition, but it is important to understand that it is a symptom of something else that is going on in the body. It is important to ask your doctor the right questions before worrying about your blood pressure and starting medication. A proper diagnosis and treatment can help prevent serious health complications in the future.
