How To Overcome Fear Of Taking Blood Pressure

[TopicStarter]

Do you have normal blood pressure at home, and it suddenly goes high when you visit the doctor? You might have what is called the “white coat syndrome.”

There are many people like you who, on getting their blood pressure checked by doctors, experience hypertension. In situations like this, your heart will start to race without any particular reason. And because of this, your blood pressure will read higher than normal. 

When you are in the doctor’s office, the environment may make you feel tense and anxious, which might have a direct impact on the blood pressure. Hence, you won’t be able to get the correct reading, and won’t get to know the right condition of your heart. 

Facing these kinds of problems may be a reflection of future issues that you might suffer from. Unless taken care of, anxieties like these may even turn chronic. So, today, I am going to talk about a few ways in which you can overcome the fear of taking blood pressure. 

#1 Take a leak: When you try testing your blood pressure with a full bladder, the chances are that the reading will be high. This is because a full bladder prevents you from completely relaxing. So, I would always suggest that you visit the bathroom at least once before getting your blood pressure checked. 

#2 Request for a quiet room: The general rush in the hospital might cause anxiety, but you need to relax before your blood pressure is measured. For this, you can request the hospital staff to assign a quiet room where you can sit to calm the nerves. 

The lesser the noise and the fewer people present in the room, the more confident you will feel. 

#3 Go for a walk: If you cannot calm yourself down, it is best to take a short walk outside. Being amidst nature works great when it comes to calming down the nerves. Rhythmic walking reduces the stress response of the body and normalizes your blood pressure. 

While walking, you can even practice some easy breathing techniques to calm yourself down further. Physical activities like these divert your mind from the fear you might be experiencing. 

And lastly, do not forget to have a glass of water before you go in for the check. This helps to flush down the excess sodium in your blood that often results in high blood pressure readings.  

Have you had a fear of taking your blood pressure? What steps did you take to overcome it?

[EagleEye]

Some great tips, haven't sufferedfrom this fear personally myself though.