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Blood Pressure Phobia
Do you feel anxious every time your blood pressure is checked? Perhaps you avoid checks, or using blood pressure monitors, worry about getting a high reading or get so nervous that your blood pressure rises during the test. If this sounds like you, then you may be experiencing blood pressure phobia or anxiety about having your blood pressure taken.
This fear is more common than you may realize. Anxiety can temporarily raise your blood pressure during a reading causing higher readings and worsening your anxiety. This is often called White Coat Syndrome, but some people also experience the anxiety at the thought of taking a reading themselves with a blood pressure kit. This cycle of fear can be broken with the right approach. Taking the right steps to overcome this anxiety can help you feel calmer about blood pressure checks, more in control and able to have your blood pressure taken more comfortably.
This guide helps you learn why blood pressure anxiety happens, why avoiding blood pressure readings actually makes the fear worse and how some practical methods can help you overcome blood pressure phobia so you can feel calm having your blood pressure checked.
Why Does Blood Pressure Phobia Happen?
This phobia can develop for many reasons, some people become very anxious after once being told they had a high blood pressure reading. Others worry they will get a high reading due to anxiety and be immediately put on medication. Some people are afraid of blood pressure checks as they fear a diagnosis or unseen medical condition might be diagnosed. For some people the phobia is more about the sounds and sensations of having the blood pressure check such as the feeling of the cuff and the sound of the velcro.
The anxiety itself about having a blood pressure check can actually cause your blood pressure to rise temporarily. This can create a cycle where you worry that you will get a high reading, your anxiety increases your blood pressure due to the stress response and this reinforces the fear further when the next test happens. Some people actually have a panic attack when having their blood pressure taken, which can sometimes create a significant increase in the reading.
Anxiety and fear of blood pressure checks can also be part of a wider pattern of fear of illness or health anxiety (sometimes called Hypochondria). Health anxiety can cause some people to constantly seek medical appointments and tests, but others avoid appointments altogether as the fear is too difficult to face. Blood pressure phobia can also be a separate issue without general health anxiety, only the fear of having blood pressure checks.
Can Anxiety Raise Your Blood Pressure?
Yes. Anxiety can temporarily raise your blood pressure by activating your nervous system and causing a fight-or-flight response. When you feel anxious due to fear or anxiety your heart beats faster and your blood vessels temporarily narrow. This can increase blood pressure for a short period.
This temporary rise doesn’t necessarily mean you have high blood pressure (hypertension). If this is something that keeps happening when you get checked at the doctor’s office they may suggest an ambulatory blood pressure test at home where readings repeat automatically through a 24 hour period. Another alternative is you could purchase a blood pressure kit and take readings yourself at home when you feel relaxed.
If anxiety is contributing to your readings, learning to relax and lowering your anxiety levels before a test can help. It is always important to discuss persistently high readings with your doctor. If you think anxiety is an issue for you, then you may find our comprehensive guide on How to Overcome Anxiety very helpful.
Blood Pressure Phobia: “Good” or “Bad” Numbers
One of the more difficult things about blood pressure phobia is worrying about what the numbers will be. You may be thinking “What if it’s really high?” or “What if something is seriously wrong with me?”. Thoughts like these can make it tempting to avoid having your blood pressure checked at all.
It is important to remember that avoiding having your blood pressure checked does not change what your blood pressure actually is. The numbers are already what they are, whether you choose to see them or not. Avoiding blood pressure tests only delays finding out and can increase your anxiety.
Having your blood pressure checked is a win-win situation because if it is normal you will have the reassurance you’ve been hoping for. If it is higher than is ideal, you have taken a positive step towards dealing with it and doing something positive about it. Many people get the numbers down with lifestyle changes like eating healthier, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking and taking exercise. Sometimes medication is required and this can be part of the lifestyle changes.
Having the reading gives you knowledge and information that puts you back in control. Avoiding it leaves you wondering what the reading would be, the question floating around in your mind, the uncertainty never fully going away. Uncertainty is often what keeps anxiety alive, yet you have the power to resolve the uncertainty, simply by getting the test done.
Using a Home Blood Pressure Monitor
If you are anxious about having your blood pressure taken at the doctor’s, using a home blood pressure monitor can be a good way to overcome your fear. Checking your blood pressure at home, where you are comfortable and relaxed can feel much better and less intimidating than a medical setting.
Some people may find using a monitor at home can be difficult to do. Naturally, if you have a blood pressure phobia and are anxious about what the reading will be, this is still not going to be easy. The aim is not to be instantly calm and get perfect readings straight away. Gradually becoming more comfortable with the idea of using the monitor and feeling more familiar with it will help.
The more often you take your blood pressure, the more ordinary and familiar it will feel. As your anxiety reduces you may find your readings become better and more consistent. At this point you can see whether your readings actually become normal when you are calm and free of anxiety. If the readings did continue to remain higher than is ideal, you can then discuss this with your doctor who will be able to advise you on next steps and often simple changes can reduce it.
Remember that you are not competing to get a lower reading, you are simply aiming to feel comfortable about having your blood pressure checked.
Take Your First Reading
When you are ready, prepare to take your first blood pressure reading. Choose a quiet, comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. If the sound of the monitor or feeling of the cuff makes you anxious you may find playing relaxing music, ideally through earbuds or headphones can help.
Sit comfortably, put the cuff on and just sit and relax for a while. Breathe slowly and gently and let your body relax. Don’t aim for perfect relaxation, as this may take practice to achieve, it will get easier as the process becomes more familiar. If anxiety has been affecting your readings you should find they gradually become more consistent.
When you are ready, take a reading. While it is measuring you don’t need to look at the display, wait until it has completed. If the first reading is a little high, don’t panic. Anxiety can affect blood pressure. Regularly practicing taking a reading at home will familiarize you with the process, and acclimatize you to the sounds of the monitor and feeling of the cuff.
With practice taking readings, it will help you to just accept the numbers without worrying about what they might be. If blood pressure phobia causes you to get higher readings then as your anxiety comes down, so will the blood pressure readings. Each reading you take, no matter what the numbers are, is a step towards overcoming blood pressure phobia. Taking your blood pressure readings will start to feel ordinary and not something you fear anymore.
Is it Okay to Avoid Having Your Blood Pressure Checked?
If having your blood pressure checked causes you fear, anxiety and even panic attacks, then it may be tempting to avoid having it checked at all. Avoiding something we fear though, actually worsens phobias. The more you avoid it, because it frightens you, the more your subconscious mind learns that it might be dangerous or that is it a valid fear.
Avoiding having your blood pressure checked may give temporary relief but the anxiety will return whenever you think about blood pressure or the subject comes up. Continuing to avoid it can make the phobias worse.
The key to overcoming blood pressure phobia is to gradually face the fear. Each reading to have (or take yourself) helps you to re-learn the response to the process, that it is safe and ordinary to have a blood pressure check. The phobia response patterns are interrupted and gradually the fear reduces.
The numbers are already determined. Finding out this information by having a reading can give you reassurance if the reading is in normal range, and if it is high, positive steps can be taken to improve it. Knowing is better than wondering and constantly trying to push it out of your mind.
Like any fear or phobia, hiding from it and not facing your fear will leave you trapped in a state of anxiety. Remember the numbers are what the numbers are, there’s no point hiding from it. If it is anxiety making it high, facing your fear will resolve it. Imagine how good you will feel once you have faced this fear.
If you feel very anxious take it slowly. Using a home blood pressure monitor, just sit with the cuff on without taking a reading at first. Gradually as you get familiar with that part of the process you can move towards taking readings until it becomes just a part of your routine.
Fear of the Blood Pressure Cuff or Machine
For some people the anxiety and panic of having a blood pressure check is not just about what the numbers might be, it starts with the cuff and the machine. The feeling of the cuff tightening around your arm may cause you anxiety, the sound of the machine and the waiting for the reading result can heighten the anxiety and trigger feelings of panic.
If you have previously had high readings or a difficult experience, you may have made an automatic association between blood pressure measurements and fear and this can make the feelings happen even if you feel mentally focused and determined to stay calm. Then, the next time you see the blood pressure machine and the cuff your body goes straight into fight-or-flight as the anxiety instantly peaks.
These learned fear responses are how phobias form. The good news is that you can change these reactions. The way this can be achieved is through gradual desensitization, where you slowly become accustomed to the blood pressure cuff and machine. Each new experience when taken slowly can then break down the old anxiety patterns as you learn there is nothing to fear. Each successful experience weakens the association between the test and the anxiety.
The blood pressure machine and the cuff are not causing your anxiety, they are just measuring blood pressure. Your fear is a reaction that has formed through a learned response, and this response can be changed. As you become more familiar and more comfortable with the process, the fear will fade.
Overcome Blood Pressure Phobia
Overcoming blood pressure phobia is all about reducing the fear and anxiety response. This is not something that can happen instantly, it takes practice. Learning relaxation skills, meditation or self hypnosis can help reduce the stress response making it easier to stay calm before and during a blood pressure reading. The more often you practice relaxing the more skilled you become at calming yourself when you want to. With practice you will be able to calm yourself down when checking your blood pressure at home, or even in the doctors office or with the nurse.
If your blood pressure is slightly higher than it should be, there are many ways you can help lower it, such as losing any excess weight and being more physically active. If it is only anxiety that causes your blood pressure to be too high when you get a reading taken at the doctors, then taking these steps can help you achieve a normal reading.
If you have been taking blood pressure readings at home, you will be able to share this information with your doctor, helping them to see what your usual blood pressure is in day to day life.
Why Blood Pressure is Higher at the Doctor’s
Many people feel anxious about having their blood pressure taken at the doctor’s surgery or clinic, and often this can cause the reading to be a little high – this is called White Coat Syndrome or White Coat Hypertension. Being in a medical setting can make some people anxious and blood pressure can temporarily increase.
This anxiety can have several causes, it may develop from having a frightening experience or a high reading previously, or it may be a fear of getting bad news or being told you have a medical problem. The anxiety around having a blood pressure test is a learned response that is not caused by the medical setting or the machine or the cuff, It is how your mind has connected an automatic fear response to this situation.
You may find that taking your blood pressure at home can help you get a more accurate reading as you familiarize yourself with the process and anxiety reduces. It is important to not avoid appointments because of this fear. You can explain to the doctor or nurse that you take readings at home and you can share these readings. This will help them to understand the real picture when it comes to your blood pressure and its true level.
Is Blood Pressure Phobia Common?
Yes, it is very common. For many people it happens due to previously having a high reading and then avoiding readings for a time. With all phobias, avoiding the fear makes it worse. Facing your fear and having blood pressure checks helps to release you from the anxiety and the fear around the blood pressure testing process.
Some people have an anxiety about blood pressure tests which is manageable. For some it is very intense and can include panic attacks. They may avoid having tests because anxiety makes the readings high. The good news is that gradually facing, such as by using a home blood pressure monitor can help you overcome the fear. Slowly and gradually you can familiarize yourself with the cuff and machine and overcome this fear. Learning relaxation techniques can also make you feel calmer and less anxious.
What Causes Blood Pressure Phobia?
Like many phobias blood pressure phobia may have developed after a difficult experience. Your mind then associates the situation of having your blood pressure taken, with the feeling of fear and anxiety.
Phobias cause you to feel anxiety and panic and this triggers the body’s “fight or flight” response. You may notice your heart beating faster and your muscles tense. This anxiety can temporarily raise your blood pressure, getting a high reading then reinforces the fear as you worry something is wrong.
Avoiding blood pressure checks is the worst thing you can do when you have a phobia of it. The short-term relief from avoiding it can strengthen the fear, as the longer you avoid it the more your mind worries about it, yet is feels harder than ever to face it. Practicing relaxation or meditation and then facing your fear and having the checks helps give your mind and body a chance to learn that it is not something to be frightened of. You can overcome blood pressure phobia simply by taking blood pressure readings regularly. It then becomes routine and ordinary, no longer something that frightens you.
Talk to your doctor
If you are worried about your blood pressure or find checks difficult to face, talk to your doctor about it. They will understand so letting them know can help them be more able to make it easier for you. Your doctor will be understanding about you talking readings at home, and will know that this can help them distinguish between true high blood pressure and temporary high blood pressure caused by anxiety or White Coat Syndrome.
Your doctor will be able to help you if your readings are too high. You may find that your readings are within normal range, and this would be such a great reassurance for you that you may wonder why you didn’t face up to it sooner.
If you want to read about ways to lower your blood pressure go to the NHS website.
Blood Pressure Phobia Checklist
If you are ready to start overcoming your phobia of blood pressure tests, remember these key points:
- Avoiding blood pressure checks only keeps the anxiety going
- A blood pressure reading is just information
- The numbers are what the numbers are
- Anxiety can temporarily raise blood pressure significantly
- Avoiding blood pressure checks won’t change what the result is
- Blood pressure changes throughout the day according to your activities
- Being familiar with blood pressure checks makes them less scary
- Your blood pressure reading might be perfectly normal
- If your reading is a little high there are many ways to naturally lower it
- If your reading is high your doctor can help you
- Relax or meditate before checks to calm yourself
- Every time you face your fear you get closer to freedom from it
- Take a blood pressure reading today
By taking a gradual approach and practicing regularly, you can overcome this fear of blood pressure checks and feel much calmer, If you are looking for additional support, hypnosis can help you relax, let go of anxiety and work towards overcoming your fear.
How to overcome blood pressure phobia
If anxiety is making your blood pressure checks feel overwhelming, learning to relax well can make a big difference. A relaxation hypnosis recording can help to physically relax you and calm your mind, making it easier to approach blood pressure checks with less fear. Regular relaxation can help you learn to relax more easily at other times. This can make blood pressure checks easier to handle. We recommend our Stress Reduction and Relaxation Hypnosis (2 Tracks)
If you need to lower your blood pressure, you may be interested in our Control Hypertension Hypnosis recording. It has been created to encourage calm, relaxation and motivation for lifestyle changes such as taking exercise, following health guidance and living a healthy lifestyle.
Combining relaxation along with the practical techniques discussed in this article can help you gradually overcome blood pressure anxiety and feel more comfortable having your blood pressure checked.
Relax Before Blood Pressure Checks
This calming hypnosis can help you relax and give extra support while you work through the techniques in this article.
Explore More Anxiety & Phobia Resources
If you found this article helpful, you may also be interested in the following articles, resources and hypnosis audios.
Anxiety Hypnosis Downloads & Guided Meditations Find all hypnosis and meditations for anxiety here.
Anxiety Hub: See all anxiety related resources here
What is Hypnosis?: Discover how hypnosis works and why it can help anxiety and phobias.
Related Hypnosis Recordings:
Control Hypertension: Calming hypnosis to reduce stress and motivate you to make positive healthy lifestyle choices to manage your blood pressure. Includes 2 tracks, a listen and wake hypnosis and a sleep hypnosis.
Overcome Health Anxiety: For people whose blood pressure phobia is part of a wider issue of health anxiety and fear of illness.
Exercise Motivation: For anyone looking to get motivated to take regular exercise.
Stress Reduction and Relaxation Hypnosis: A calming hypnosis to help you let go of stress and relax deeply.
Browse the Full Collection of Hypnosis & Meditation Audios
NOTE:
If your blood pressure is consistently high or you have concerns about your health, it’s important to seek advice from your doctor. This article focuses on overcoming the anxiety associated with blood pressure checks rather than diagnosing or treating high blood pressure itself.