DEAR DR. GOTT: My husband is 76 years old. Nine years ago he had open heart surgery and now takes anti-coagulants. He has high blood pressure which is under control.

The problem is, he is dizzy. Every time he stands he has to hang onto something for a few minutes before he can start walking around. He told his last two doctors of this problem and they just ignore him. I don’t know if they are unsure how to treat it or simply don’t want to. Can you give us any suggestions about what this might be caused by?

DEAR READER: Your husband’s dizziness when standing suggests that his blood pressure is too low. He may be over treated. This is likely related to something called “white-coat hypertension”. This simply means that your husband’s blood pressure rises, usually because of anxiety or stress, during his appointment but returns to normal between them.
[Read more...]