We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is White Coat Syndrome?

By Tara Barnett
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 11,062
Share

White coat syndrome, sometimes called white coat hypertension, is a situation in which a person experiences high blood pressure at a doctor's office while blood pressure is being taken but not when blood pressure is taken at home. The syndrome is almost certainly caused by the anxiety of visiting a doctor's office. Blood pressure may also be high in other situations that cause stress, but the syndrome is characterized by it always being high when visiting a doctor. While this condition is less serious than constant hypertension, it is still more dangerous than having a healthy blood pressure.

The term white coat syndrome refers to the traditional white coat worn by doctors. Many doctors no longer wear a white coat, particularly in small practices. Even a doctor who is not wearing a white coat may still cause anxiety in patients and may therefore cause white coat syndrome. The anxiety experienced when visiting a doctor is almost always related to the clinical situation rather than the coat, so white coat syndrome can be experienced even when a nurse takes the patient's blood pressure.

Usually, white coat syndrome is differentiated from consistent hypertension by taking several blood pressure readings outside the clinical setting. One very effective way to diagnose this particular type of hypertension is to have the patient wear a special device that monitors blood pressure over a longer period of time, often over a day. Usually, anxiety due to the testing or the doctor will fade over the day, and eventually comparative readings can be taken.

Although a person who experiences white coat syndrome should be careful to maintain an ideal weight and refrain from eating too much sodium, rigorous treatment is usually not required. Sometimes this disorder may develop into a constantly high blood pressure, particularly when a person is consistently under stress. It is almost certainly not necessary to treat this syndrome with medication, as over treatment may result in hypotension. For this reason, making the correct diagnosis is very important when treating white coat syndrome.

When attempting to avoid experiencing hypertension in stressful situations like visits to the doctor, deep breathing may be effective. Although most people do not experience increased heart rate in conjunction with white coat syndrome, being mindful of one's body can sometimes help reduce anxiety in general. It is often true that people who are anxious in clinical settings are not merely afraid of doctors, but experience more general anxiety. Reducing stress overall not only reduces the effects of this disorder but also improves health overall.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By croydon — On Jun 25, 2013

@bythewell - I wonder if this gets mitigated by the fact that people have to wait so long in order to see the doctor. I mean, whenever I have an appointment, I always end up waiting for what seems like an extra hour, which seems like a pretty good cure for being nervous.

Also, it's usually the nurse who takes the blood pressure in the triage bit at the beginning. But maybe that's just my doctor's office and doesn't apply to all of them.

By bythewell — On Jun 24, 2013

I didn't realize there was a term for this. I often wondered if this was happening whenever I went to the doctor. The band they put on you to measure your blood pressure is so tight it always makes me feel really nervous and I don't like going to the doctor in general.

I haven't ever had any very high blood pressure readings though, so I guess it's not that big of a deal. I could definitely see why it might be a problem for some people though.

By clintflint — On Jun 24, 2013

One of the most beautiful and sad depictions of this I've ever seen was on the film Amelie, where the little girl had a doctor for a father.

She was never hugged or held by her parents and they said that he only touched her once a year in order to give her a physical.

The fact that he was holding her made her little heart beat faster with joy and that gave him the false impression that she had a heart condition, which made him treat her even more like an invalid in order to reduce her blood pressure.

It's not completely the same, as she wasn't afraid, but excited, but it had the same consequences.

Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-white-coat-syndrome.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.