Do doctors see a lot of patients with white coat hypertension?

Yes: White coat hypertension, or high blood pressure that is only present when the patient is in the doctors office, is fairly common. Normal blood pressure should be consistently demonstrated when taken at home. It is important to be sure that the blood pressure is always otherwise normal, because untreated hypertension can lead to serious problems, like stroke, heart disease, or kidney falure.

Yes: High blood pressure (hypertension) is quite common, and for it to be caused by the doctor or doctors office is also not unusual. Often, people with white coat hypertension have real hypertension as well, but it will be up to the doctor whether they need treatment or not. Checking your blood pressure at home or at a grocery store / pharmacy can help determine if yours is usually high or not.

Yes: Why is not certain but it occurs quite frequently, even if the doctor doesn't take the blood pressure, just being in the doctor's office seems to be enough to cause blood pressure to be up. In most cases the elevation is small but can be significant. With the availability of inexpensive and more accurate at home BP monitors one can get a better reading to report to your physician.