What is White Coat Syndrome?

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.