High BP at the Dr.?

Question

Whenever I got to the Dr. my bp shoots up rather high bottom number in the low 90's.
However I do have a home bp montior and it's always fine at home.
Does this happen to anyone else. Am I just nervous being at the Dr.
My Dr hasn't gave me anything for high bp cuz he seems to think it's just coz I am at the Dr.

A little about me
I am 32 female.
A little over weight. Overall health is fine

Answer 1

It is a common occurrence that your BP can go higher at the MD's office. It is commonly known as white coat syndrome. Many people actually get put on anti-hypertensives (BP pills) mistakenly because of this syndrome.

It is good that you are testing at home because this is probably a more accurate measurement. I would HIGHLY recommend bringing your BP monitor (if portable) to the MD's office on the next visit just to make sure your BP monitor is working properly. It may not give you the same exact reading as the MD's BP machine, but the reading should go up from your usual reading at home if it is white coat syndrome.

Kudos for the home monitoring; many people are too busy for this, and their health may be jeopardized as a result!

Answer 2

In order to find out, here are some suggestions:

1) Next visit to the doctor, have your doctor do several readings. After the initial reading, he or she can go see another patient, then come back and do a second reading, then a third reading 10 minutes later. If it is white coat hypertension, the readings will drop noticeably between the first and second readings and sometimes between the 2nd and 3rd. After that, subsequent readings will plateau and stay at the true average blood pressure.

In our office, we have an automated blood pressure machine which takes 5 readings over a span of 12 minutes. When we look at the 5 readings and the average, this is the pattern we see.

2) Bring your home monitor in next time you see your doctor so that a side by side comparison can be made to ensure your machine is accurate. If they match, then you know the home readings are true and reassuring.

3) Your doctor can have you do a 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor. You would wear a monitor all day long as you carry on with normal activities, and it would also be on during sleep. It would check your BP every 20-30 minutes.

4) When you are at the doctor's office make sure you have been seated comfortably with your feet resting on the floor for at least ten minutes before your BP is taken.

Keep in mind that your target BP in the doctor's office is 140/90 but at home the target is slightly lower at 135/85.

Answer 3

A normal BP is around 120/80. Just relax as stress can upset your BP so try and not get to anxious. High BP's can result in strokes and heart attacks. Just remember to relax and lay down if your feeling well well make sure your recording your results in a log to show your doctor Goodluck

Answer 4

Yes, as mentioned, it's known by the Doctor's themselves as "White Coat Syndrome".
I mentioned this to my V.A. Doctor (I also have hypertension) and he sort of laughed (knowingly) because it's so true.

Here's a tip and what I have been doing for a few years:
About two weeks prior to my appointment, I start charting my daily Blood Pressure and then present the (Excel graph) to the Doctor when I see him. The difference between the reading the nurse took that day in his office and what I get at home is quite remarkable (and of course, supports our fear of it being an inaccurate representation of our actual BP under "normal" circumstances).
If you can't make a computer chart, just write your daily reading down on paper and present it to the Doctor at your next visit.
-------------------------------------------
Date:
Time:
Systolic:
Diastolic:
Pulse:
--------------------------------------------
Good luck!
Excellent question, and the first one I have "Starred".

Answer 5

If your blood pressure is normal every other time, and you're not having any other symptoms, I'd say it's just nerves from being at the doctor's. I tend to get a bit nervous myself.

Answer 6

Classic white coat syndrome. Seriously you are not alone. Many people get anxious when they go to the doctors office. Sometimes, if they are concerned they will recheck it after you have been there for a bit.

Answer 7

Being overweight can raise your blood pressure. Your pressure does go up when you're nervous. We call it "white coat syndrome".

Answer 8

It is called white coat hypertension. As long as your home readings are ok, you don't need meds.

Answer 9

Nervous, normal