Table of Contents
Can you be misdiagnosed with hypertension?
According to the National Health Portal of India, one in every five adults suffers from high blood pressure. However, due to the absence of any apparent symptoms, it is often ignored and/or misdiagnosed. Estimates suggest that 50\% of patients don’t even know they have hypertension.
Can BP be psychosomatic?
Hypertension has long been suspected of being, in some patients, a psychosomatic disorder, ie, a physical disorder caused by psychological factors.
Can anxiety cause false high blood pressure?
When stress and anxiety caused by a clinic or hospital visit lead to higher-than-normal blood pressure readings, the effect is known as white coat hypertension (WCH), or “white coat syndrome”, named for the coats doctors wear.
What is sustained hypertension?
Subjects were considered to have “sustained” hypertension if the average clinic blood pressure exceeded 140 mm Hg systolic or 90 mm Hg diastolic and the home blood pressure value was in the upper decile of the distribution.
Can hypertension cause psychosis?
Hypertension may also cause multi-infarct dementia with resultant depression, paranoia, or other psychotic features. The psychological burden of having chronic and usually incurable (though controllable) hypertension may worsen depression or anxiety disorders.
What can cause false high blood pressure readings?
Factors That Can Exaggerate Blood Pressure Readings
- Stress and Anxiety.
- A Full Bladder.
- Crossed Legs.
- Blood Pressure Cuff Placement.
- Eating (Or Not Eating)
- Alcohol, Caffeine, and Tobacco.
- Too Much Talking.
- Cold Temperatures.
Why is hypertension often not diagnosed?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is often called a “silent disease” because you usually don’t know that you have it. There may be no symptoms or signs. Nonetheless, it damages the body and eventually may cause problems like heart disease.
Can a hypertension diagnosis be given after just one reading?
A hypertension diagnosis is rarely given after just one reading. Your doctor needs to see evidence of a sustained problem. That’s because your environment can contribute to increased blood pressure, such as the stress you may feel by being at the doctor’s office. Also, blood pressure levels change throughout the day.
Can you have high blood pressure without any symptoms?
You can have hypertension without having any symptoms. The best way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked by a health care provider. However, symptoms may be felt when blood pressure first rises or during a hypertensive crisis, when levels are extremely high.
Do you need a prescription for high blood pressure medication?
Many adults in the United States for whom hypertension medication is recommended are untreated and may need both a prescription and to start taking it (34.1 million). Two-thirds of this group have a blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher (23.2 million). Table 1.
What should I do if I don’t receive a blood pressure reading?
If you don’t receive a blood pressure reading at your next appointment, request one. If your blood pressure is elevated, your doctor may request you have more readings over the course of a few days or weeks. A hypertension diagnosis is rarely given after just one reading. Your doctor needs to see evidence of a sustained problem.