Fake hypertension, also known as white haze hypertension, is a temporary increase in blood pressure due to stress or anxiety in a medical environment. High blood pressure of this type may not have visible symptoms, but at times patients may experience mild discomforts, which may include headaches, dizziness, concussion, agitation or chest disorders. These symptoms usually disappear shortly after leaving the medical environment, as blood pressure returns to normal levels. For example, a patient may feel nervous when measuring blood pressure in a doctor ‘ s office, resulting in abnormally high blood pressure readings. Such stress may arise from fear of the medical environment, fear of the diagnosis, or a stranger to doctors and nurses. Patients may feel their heart beats accelerating or even have a slight sweat. In some cases, the patient may experience slight headaches, which are often described as a blunt pain rather than a severe one. Dizziness may manifest itself in a short period of dizziness or loss of balance, while heart palpitation may be described by patients as an abnormal heartbeat or a feeling of beating. Breathing can be light and fast, and chest discomfort may be a sense of oppression or slight pain. These symptoms usually disappear shortly after leaving the medical environment, as blood pressure returns to normal levels. When the patient returns to a familiar home or is measured using a home sphygmomanometer in a non-medical environment, blood pressure values may be perfectly normal. In such cases, the typical symptoms of false hypertension may be limited to minor headaches or panic, and these symptoms are rapidly reduced after the patient relaxes. Patients may notice that once they begin their day-to-day activities, such as watching television, reading or carrying out light household chores, these feelings of discomfort diminish. It is noteworthy that false hypertension may interfere with the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Doctors usually advise patients to measure blood pressure repeatedly at different times and in different settings to exclude the possibility of false hypertension. This may include blood pressure monitoring at home, at work and even during sleep. In this way, doctors can obtain more comprehensive blood pressure data, thus helping them to judge whether the patient actually suffers from hypertension. In addition, some patients may need to use 24-hour dynamic blood pressure monitoring equipment to obtain more accurate blood pressure readings. This equipment keeps track of changes in blood pressure in a patient ‘ s day and helps doctors to understand how blood pressure fluctuates over time. This helps doctors to make more accurate diagnostic and therapeutic decisions and to avoid misdiagnosis or over-treatment due to false hypertension. In daily life, understanding the existence of false hypertension is important for patients because it helps them avoid unnecessary anxiety and potential overtreatment. Through education and appropriate monitoring, patients can better understand their blood pressure and take appropriate measures to manage their health. Patients can learn relaxing techniques such as deep breath, meditation or gradual muscle relaxation to reduce stress in a medical environment. In addition, patients can work with doctors to develop individualized blood pressure monitoring programmes to ensure that they have accurate blood pressure readings to make informed health decisions.
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