i am scared of my doctor?

Question

i went to my doctor the other day and i am scared of doctors and when she was checking my blood presure it was really high and my heart beat was fast too and now shes sending me to a heart specalist but i dont think theres anything wronge with. is there a link between felling scared and high blood presure and what shouold i do to not fell scared of the doctor

Answer 1

The same thing happened to me when I was 16! My doctor was really just a big jerk who always made me feel embarrassed, so my anxiety level was always through the roof when I was in his office. One time he checked my BP and it was extremely high, and based on that one time alone he wrote me a prescription for an anti-hypertensive (which lowers BP considerably). Considering the fact that I had normal BP all the rest of the time, this medication could have seriously hurt me if I had taken it. From that time on I have had fear and anxiety when I think about going to a doctor, which peaks while I'm in the office.

If your doctor is nice and a rational person, you should make another appt with her and explain that you have a bit of a problem with anxiety in the doctor's office. Explain that it's a general anxiety and not a fear of her in particular. She will almost certainly understand and appreciate your being honest with her.

If your fear is very intense and uncontrollable, you may have 'iatrophobia' which is essentially a fear of doctors. Check out http://iatrophobia.com/phobia.htm . If it's not that severe, don't feel bad because it's more common than you think. Doctors and their offices can be intimidating! If you only have a problem with this doctor in particular, you should consider looking for a different one.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You don't say how old you are, or what was the purpose of your last visit to your doctor. But, there is such a thing as "white coat" syndrome, which a lot of people get because of fear of doctors and then it gives a false high BP reading. But go through the heart specialist anyway, you never know. And it's always better to be safe than sorry! If we didn't have doctors, we'd all die a lot quicker! Don't be afraid. They have all studied a lot and know way more than we do, so just trust them, and maybe you just need to find a doctor that makes you feel more comfortable. It helps if you like the doctor you're seeing. I've only had great experiences with doctors and I'd say the great majority of them are darn good! Don't be scared! It'd be worse if you were living in a third world country and you had no access to doctors at all. You are very fortunate so don't torture yourself for nothing. They're there to help you! Trust that!

Answer 3

There is probably not much anyone can say to make you not feel scared. I am a fairly young (33) woman who has high blood pressure and a few heart problems that need daily medication for the rest of my life. I used to be a little afraid of the doctor, until I found a great cardiologist. Now, I look at it as a really fun place to go. They take really neat pictures of your heart, and show you ultra sounds of your heart. It is really super cool to see, and I would highly recommend going. Chances are it is nothing at all, and that you will get to see all of these cool things with no problems! Good luck!

Answer 4

There is a definite link between an elevated pulse, high blood pressure and fear. But the more important question is, why are you so afraid of your doctor?
Is it just this particular doctor, or all doctors? Because if it is all doctors, you are going to present an elevated pulse, and high blood pressure to the specialist as well.
Go back to your doctor, talk to her, and tell her about your reaction. Then ask if she could give you a mild sedative or tranquilizer, and re-test you. It isn't uncommon, and most doctors are very good at helping you deal with the problem.

Answer 5

Just understand that the doctor is there to help you. I know I am scared of needles, and I don't like having my blood pressure checked either,( that is the machine right that surrounds your arm and gets tighter). I can't stand it, but I try to remain calm.

You just gotta stay calm and get the things done in order to get better. When you go to the specialist to get examined, if all is when then that is great peace of mind, perhaps just go for curiosity, humor the doctor. Feeling scared will increase your heart rate, it depends how worked up you were. For instance getting chased by a bear will make your heart rate soar. Sitting in her office probably didn't raise the pressure to significant.
( Unless your fear was equivalent to this)

Answer 6

Being scared & anxious will alleviate your heart beat as well as your blood pressure. This could be the reason to your doctor's findings.

You should tell your doctor frankly that you are scared of him/her. Your doctor would be able to help you relax and retake your blood pressure.

But most importantly, you have to make yourself think that your doctor is a friend of yours and is there to help you. A method that you could use is to befriend your doctor. Ask him about his work or his family, or tell him abit more about yourself or your family. This is to try to relax yourself and from there you'll be able to feel a connection to him and thus making yourself calm.

Basically, doctors are also humans. The only different about him and you is that he is more knowledgeable about medicine than you are. You don't have to be scared.

Answer 7

Even DOCTORS sometimes get scared in this situation i.e. in front of another examining doctor.

It is mostly the fear of the unknown for the patient and the fear that the examining doctor may reach some dreadful diagnosis.

Just try to master your 'nerves' and trust it that the doctor can detect the slighest nervous tension and stress and make the appropriate allowance and diagnosis

Hope this answers your question.

Answer 8

Get your blood pressure taken by someone who doesn't scare you. Have it taken different times throughout the day. Write down your results. Then go see the heart specialist and explain your fear of seeing your doctor. Lots of people have the same fear or anxiety about seeing their doctor. Good luck!

Answer 9

There absolutely is a link! Think about it, when you get scared, what happens? Your heart beats faster to prepare you in case you have to fight or run (fight or flight). Did you tell her that you were nervous and that could be the cause of your heart rate and blood pressure being so high?

Answer 10

You have White Coat Syndrome(fear of Dr.'s) Let your Dr know of your fear and tell the specialist too. This will cause you to have a racing heart and shoot up the blood pressure. It's good she is checking you out as safe is better. Don't be embarrassed telling any Doctor of your fear as it is very common. Good Luck