White Coat Syndrome’s Surprising Reality
Learning that my spike in blood pressure might be due to hidden anxiety seemed like good news. Until I learned more.
Six weeks ago I went to an urgent care center after an inexplicable and unprecedented bout of dizziness. There my blood pressure was measured at 160/92, which is really high (the threshold for high blood pressure, also called hypertension, is 130/80). It surprised the hell out of me. But an EKG and a full suite of bloodwork found nothing abnormal. I’ve been waiting since then for a follow-up appointment.
Meanwhile, as instructed, I’ve tracked my blood pressure daily. I bought a $52 home device, the Omron 5 Series, which reviewers say is very accurate.
My first reading, just two hours out of urgent care, was 146/89. As the dizziness waned the next few days, my blood pressure fell further. I made some changes to my diet, cut out a BP-raising allergy medication, and continued exercising. Over the past two weeks, the average readings, taken twice daily, were 128/83 — cause for minor celebration.
Or so it seemed.
At my follow-up appointment yesterday, my blood pressure was 152/80 as measured by the doctor’s device. I brought my device to compare, and a moment later it read 157/92.
