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They call it "White Coat Hypertension". I've been sitting in the waiting room for an hour and then I see the doctor. What is he going to tell me? Am I going to get bad news? Is he going to scold me about my weight/smoking/diet/lack of exercise?
What if, what if, what if.... It's no wonder that my blood pressure spikes.
But then.....obviously your mind is made up so there's no use in anybody telling you anything.
Have you tried a home BP monitor, and compared with your Doctor’s results (eg test it during your dr visit?). Some of the recent studies base their results on patient’s written logs from home testing. These studies depend on the accuracy of patient record-keeping, as well as the patient’s abilities to use the monitor correctly.
I would recommend spending $60 or so on a BP monitor and comparing with your doc.
Regular home testing is highly recommended by most doctors for patients with high BP.
But then.....obviously your mind is made up so there's no use in anybody telling you anything.
No just getting tired of people going off topic. White coat hypertension has been debunked in various studies. The only reason it persists is that doctors use it when they need to downplay a poor result.
There is no way this could have been white coat hypertension because it was a large difference in a matter of minutes.
Blood pressure is not static. It changes with activity and time of day. Ordinary stressors can make it go up. I shudder to think what my blood pressure was after some really frustrating experiences I have had.
There is a correct way to take a blood pressure. What is being sought is resting blood pressure, so you have to be resting before it is taken. That means sitting quietly for at least five minutes. Your feet should be flat on the floor; do not cross your legs or ankles. No caffeine, alcohol, or smoking for 30 minutes before the reading is taken. The cuff should be appropriately sized for your arm (larger arms need a wider cuff) and positioned at heart level. The cuff should not be placed over a shirt sleeve. Just wear a short sleeved shirt to the appointment. If the person taking your pressure does not do it this way then that person may not know what s/he is doing.
Automatic cuffs may or may not be accurate. You can take yours to your doctor and compare readings to see if they are significantly different.
There can indeed be a wide variation in pressures taken at a single sitting. This study compared pressures taken before and after consultation with the physician.
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I used to have that problem too, in fact I could take my BP at home and be very normal, and half an hour later the medical tech would take it and it would be borderline high. I now go in every 6 months and the same tech has taken it so often that I know him and don't stress out. Fortunately the doctor doesn't re-take it when he finally comes in. While waiting for him after the tech has done the BP is when mine is probably going up fast, as become annoyed with having to wait so long.
I couldn't agree more, OP. No one knows how to take a manual blood pressure, and to all medical providers reading this, I'll let you know: the ability to take a manual blood pressure is an essential skill. Why? Every time I go to any doctor's office they use one of those stupid automatic blood pressure cuffs and every time they check me, it runs high, about 160/90. They take it repeatedly using the stupid machine, despite the fact that I tell them EMPHATICALLY that my blood pressure does not read accurately on that horrid machine; they must take it manually. And no one has the manual cuff, or they flat don't know how to use it. They say "I'm a nervous patient." False. The machine is inaccurate. I am not the only person like this. Many others read inaccurately on the machines too.
Finally the 80 year old nurse listens to me, digs out a manual cuff from the junk closet or to be shredded pile, checks me, and miraculously, it's 110/70 I fired my last primary care doctor when he tried to diagnose me with high blood pressure after checking it repeatedly with the machine, despite my shouted insistence his nurse needed to check it manually. When he finally did, he grudgingly admitted I was right; I did not have high blood pressure after all.
And sitting down and relaxing a bit after one has been moving around (especially rushing) to get to a destination, like a medical appointment, can lower the blood pressure significantly.
I couldn't agree more, OP. No one knows how to take a manual blood pressure, and to all medical providers reading this, I'll let you know: the ability to take a manual blood pressure is an essential skill. Why? Every time I go to any doctor's office they use one of those stupid automatic blood pressure cuffs and every time they check me, it runs high, about 160/90. They take it repeatedly using the stupid machine, despite the fact that I tell them EMPHATICALLY that my blood pressure does not read accurately on that horrid machine; they must take it manually. And no one has the manual cuff, or they flat don't know how to use it. They say "I'm a nervous patient." False. The machine is inaccurate. I am not the only person like this. Many others read inaccurately on the machines too.
Finally the 80 year old nurse listens to me, digs out a manual cuff from the junk closet or to be shredded pile, checks me, and miraculously, it's 110/70 I fired my last primary care doctor when he tried to diagnose me with high blood pressure after checking it repeatedly with the machine, despite my shouted insistence his nurse needed to check it manually. When he finally did, he grudgingly admitted I was right; I did not have high blood pressure after all.
They use manual blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes to take blood pressure readings in the offices of the docs I go to.
One of my docs uses manual, one uses auto, I have a home cuff, and I use the machine at the gym...... no major variations aside from those small ones that can be attributed to daily activity. If I have an odd spike or odd low, I would attribute it to error or anomaly, it's only when I see a consistent change that I address it.
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I fired my last primary care doctor when he tried to diagnose me with high blood pressure after checking it repeatedly with the machine, despite my shouted insistence his nurse needed to check it manually. When he finally did, he grudgingly admitted I was right; I did not have high blood pressure after all.
