Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a heart condition present at birth. That means it's a congenital heart defect. Researchers aren't sure what causes most types of congenital heart defects.

Understanding the Context

WPW syndrome may occur with other congenital heart defects, such as Ebstein anomaly. Rarely, WPW syndrome is passed down through families. Raynaud's disease causes smaller blood vessels that supply blood flow to the skin to narrow in response to cold or stress. The affected body parts, usually fingers and toes, might turn white then blue.

Key Insights

Depending on your skin color, these color changes may be harder or easier to see. The affected areas may feel cold and numb until blood flow improves, usually after warming up. You could have white coat hypertension. This means your blood pressure is higher at a healthcare professional's office than in other settings, such as at home. It's called white coat hypertension because people who measure blood pressure sometimes wear white coats.

Final Thoughts

The stress of a health checkup may be the cause of white coat hypertension. It was once thought that if blood pressure goes up ... White blood cells come from the spongy tissue called bone marrow inside some of the larger bones. Conditions that affect the bone marrow are most often the causes of low white blood cell count.