I have panic attacks @ appts. with high bp, normal @ home, How do they get any accurate numbers with panic pl?
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Karen - The phenomenon you describe is well-known. It even has a name - "white coat" hypertension - after the white coats that doctors traditionally wear. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get a good idea of usual blood pressures for these patients at their appointments alone. I hesitate to say "accurate" because the measurements are accurate, but they only reflect what the blood pressure is in the doctor's office and not what it is on a day-to-day basis.
One solution is to check the blood pressure after letting the patient relax for a bit once they are in a room. Obviously, that doesn't always work.
The best option is for the doctor to order an "ambulatory blood pressure monitor" that the patient wears around. This checks and records the blood pressure periodically throughout the day. By reviewing the information from an ambulatory blood pressure monitor, a doctor can tell what your blood pressure more typically runs.
Having said that, there is good research that shows that people with white coat hypertension are still at higher risk of heart disease than people without white coat hypertension. Their risk tends to fall somewhere between that of people with persistently high blood pressure and people with normal blood pressure readings.
Hope that helps! Good luck to you!
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i have panic attacks to sometime and my heart go fast but i get a medication and this is help a lot with fast heart rate and a panic to go see a doctor and get help
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