What if the blood pressure readings I take at home are different from the ones taken in the doctors office?
Blood pressure measurements can be higher in the doctor’s office than they are at home. Doctors have called this “white coat hypertension”, when the patient’s blood pressure “shoots up” upon entering the doctor’s office. Sometimes doctors will ask a patient to have his or her blood pressures taken at home when they suspect that the blood pressure may only be high when the patient is nervous in their office. Some experts think that “white coat hypertension” may represent an early stage of blood vessel problems, and recommend close follow-up with frequent blood pressure checks.
