Most adults are familiar with measuring blood pressure. This value documents the hydraulic pressure of blood, the force necessary to propel life-giving oxygen, nutrients and immune cells through out our system to keep us conscious and alive.
Too much pressure of course can damage the brain, eyes, kidneys and heart. Therefore, doctors usually measure your blood pressure as a matter of routine. When the pressure is high, 140/90 consistently, hypertension is diagnosed and dietary and lifestyle changes are suggested first, drugs second.
What if your measurement, however, is increased by the stress of your visit to the clinic? This is called “white coat hypertension” and it is real.
Physicians do not want to treat white coat hypertension because this condition is a temporary response to stress and resolves after patients leave the clinic.
What we would really like to document is blood pressures at home. As a result, medical reports on the Internet are heralding new emphasis on home blood pressure monitoring, also referred to as ambulatory monitoring.
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