Masked Hypertension

Masked hypertension is a condition where the blood pressure of a person appears normal during a visit to the doctor or in a clinical setting, but is found to be high when measured outside, like at home or work. Despite having normal readings in the medical environment, the individual remains at risk of high blood pressure in daily life, which often goes unnoticed and untreated. This condition can be quite dangerous, as untreated high blood pressure increases the chances of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.

On the other hand, white coat hypertension occurs when a person’s blood pressure is high in the doctor’s office but returns to normal in other settings, like at home. It is called "white coat" hypertension because the presence of doctors, who often wear white coats, can cause stress, leading to a temporary spike in blood pressure readings.

What are the Causes of Masked Hypertension?

Masked hypertension can arise from a number of factors that influence a person’s blood pressure in real-world settings but are not manifest during a doctor’s office visit. Some common Masked hypertension causes include:

lifestyle factors like high salt intake, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity can all increase blood pressure outside the clinic (this is referred to as white-coat hypertension).

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Symptoms of Masked Hypertension?

Masked hypertension typically doesn’t present clear symptoms, which is why it can go undetected for extended periods of time. But there are some subtle signs that might point to the condition, particularly in cases where blood pressure is high in daily life but seems perfectly normal at a doctor’s office. Common Masked hypertension symptoms include:

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How Masked Hypertension is Diagnosed?

Masked hypertension is identified primarily using regular blood pressure monitoring outside of the clinical setting and a review of the patient’s medical history. Because blood pressure may seem normal in a doctor’s office but be elevated in day-to-day life, doctors have a few ways to accurately carry out the masked hypertension diagnosis:

Risks Associated with Masked Hypertension

Ignoring masked hypertension can lead to serious health complications, as it often remains untreated due to the normal clinical readings. Masked hypertension can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including:

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Treatment for Masked Hypertension

This condition can be a bit challenging to diagnose and needs proper monitoring and management. Masked Hypertension treatment mainly focuses on finding the root cause and keeping the blood pressure under control for the long term.

Lifestyle Changes

Medications

At times medicines might be required to manage blood pressure. Common ones include:

Regular Monitoring

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What is the Difference Between Masked Hypertension and White-Coat Hypertension?

Masked hypertension and white coat hypertension are two conditions where blood pressure readings can vary depending on where they are taken, but they are opposites in terms of when the blood pressure is high or normal. Here's the difference:

Masked Hypertension

In this condition, a person’s blood pressure appears normal during doctor visits or in a clinical setting but is found to be elevated when measured outside, like at home or work. The person might not know they have high blood pressure, which can lead to risks like heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems if left untreated.

White Coat Hypertension

In this condition, a person’s blood pressure is high at the doctor’s office but returns to normal when measured outside the clinic, like at home. This is usually due to anxiety or stress caused by being in a medical setting, which is often called the "white coat effect."