Medical consultations can generate a wide variety of feelings depending on how we perceive them. Sometimes, we may feel some anxiety about knowing the result of a medical study. In addition, there is an association between emotions and the bodily reactions that a person may present. Who has not had palpitations when faced with the threat of a robbery that generates nervousness? Who has not had an unpleasant sensation in the throat due to a great sadness that occurred in life? The same thing can happen when we go to see a doctor.
There are people who may suffer alterations linked to the presence of a doctor wearing a white coat. This type of problem can bring a series of consequences that make daily activities difficult. Knowing important data about this topic can give us tools to address it efficiently. Would you be interested in knowing more about this? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about White coat syndrome, what it is, symptoms and how to overcome it.
What is white coat syndrome
When we talk about white coat syndrome, we talk about the increased blood pressure that a patient can present in the presence of a doctor wearing a white coat. It is important to clarify that this has no relationship with whether or not you have hypertension, since the elevation in blood pressure is only explained by this factor.
For this reason, within the DSM-V, white coat syndrome could be considered an illness anxiety disorder. In short, what does white coat hypertension mean? Is the result of worries or fears about contracting serious conditions. To this it must be added that the image of the doctor produces in the patient a series of symptoms linked to certain diseases.
Characteristics of white coat syndrome
The individual who suffers from white coat syndrome conceives the possibility of becoming ill when examined by a doctor. Next, we will see the main characteristics of this disorder:
- The patient is worried for having some type of illness.
- There is presence of one or more symptoms.
- The patient tries avoid attendance at health centers.
- Concern about illness has a duration of six months or more.
Symptoms of white coat syndrome
We must take into account the symptoms presented by those people who suffer from white coat syndrome, since this will allow us to combat it quickly. Let’s see what the symptoms of white coat syndrome are.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Depression disorders. If you want to know what types of depression exist, we recommend the following article: .
- Hypochondria: the idea of suffering from a disease without having it.
- fear of death. Discover .
- Nausea.
- Stress.
- Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
- Sweating.
- Pressure rise blood.
It should be noted that the presence of any of these symptoms does not imply that we are facing white coat syndrome. Given this, it is important that the diagnosis is carried out by a health professionalsince he will be in charge of guiding the corresponding treatment, according to the characteristics presented by the patient in question.
How to overcome white coat syndrome
Currently, there are some treatments that have been shown to be effective in eliminating white coat syndrome. Next, we will talk about the most important ones.
Psychological therapy
How to treat white coat syndrome? Since one of the main causes of this problem is having experienced very stressful situations linked to death, therapy can provide various tools to resolve conflicts that a person can have in their daily life.
Both short-term therapies and long-term therapies address the patient’s symptoms, through certain interventions that produce improvements in the coping with stress and/or anxiety situations.
emotional containment
To combat white coat syndrome, not only psychological therapy is necessary, but also the presence of the patient’s environment. In other words, The support of family and friends is crucial in those moments in which the symptoms become more visible.
Meditation
One of the tools to overcome white coat syndrome is meditation. This type of practice lies in the fact of following a guide that provides instructions on how to breathe at that moment. On a general level, it is important that the environment be quiet and free of noise.
The most important aspect of meditation is downplay thoughts which can trigger high levels of stress for a person. This produces body relaxation that can be beneficial for the lives of those who suffer from white coat syndrome. In this article, we tell you what the .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to White coat syndrome: what it is, symptoms and how to overcome itwe recommend that you enter our category.
References
- American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V). Arlington: Panamericana Medical Publishing.
Bibliography
- Aguirre Ramos, R., Trujillo-Hernández, B., Huerta, M., Trujillo, X., Vásquez, C., Millán Guerrero, R. (2002). Frequency of white coat hypertension and its risk factors in newly diagnosed patients. Gaceta Médica de México Magazine, 138 (4), 319-324.
- Alcalá Cerra, G. (2007). White coat hypertension. Uninorte Health Magazine, 23 (2), 243-250.