A visit to the doctor’s office often elicits a stress response, especially in adults.
Stress can trigger a fight or flight response that comes with several physical changes, including a rise in blood pressure.
When someone sees the nurse or doctor — maybe even when they just walk into the physician’s office or exam room — and starts to sweat, their blood pressure may read higher than it would under normal, calm conditions.
Whether someone is generally anxious about visiting the doctor, or specifically about the blood pressure check, when blood pressure is consistently higher in the doctor’s office than it is outside the exam room, it’s called white coat syndrome (or white coat hypertension).
Since people don’t need to treat their blood pressure unless it’s consistently high — whether they’re at home or at the doctor’s office — how do doctors get to the bottom of it?
“One of the first steps in diagnosing white coat syndrome is checking your blood pressure at home,” said Noorain Akhtar, MD, a family medicine physician with Endeavor Health. “A good indication of it is if your blood pressure is consistently around 120/80, but trends higher in the office.”
Research shows the people most likely to experience white coat syndrome are women, people older than 50 and nonsmokers. Research has also shown that people who expect to have a high blood pressure reading and/or are anxious about having a high blood pressure reading are more likely to have white coat hypertension.
“White coat hypertension doesn’t always warrant treatment unless the person also has other risk factors for heart disease,” Dr. Akhtar said. “Instead, physicians might recommend lifestyle changes like regular exercise, eating a heart-healthy diet and stress management techniques to help keep blood pressure in a normal range.”
High blood pressure is common among adults. The American Heart Association reports nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, and many have no idea they have it.
When blood pressure is high for too long, it damages blood vessels and increases the risk of developing life-threatening conditions.
The good news is that blood pressure can be brought under control through healthy lifestyle choices and, when needed, medication.
Check your blood pressure at your next annual physical. If it’s high, your doctor may take a second reading in the office and ask you to check it at home to compare it over time.
