It is common to be afraid of taking syringes and blood tests. There are several things you can do yourself to reduce the feeling of discomfort and better manage needle-stick situations. It is considered a phobia if your fear is strong and limits you. Then you can get treatment.
What is Spray Fear?
Being scared or scared means that you experience a strong fear of syringes or blood tests.
Many people feel uncomfortable about taking syringes and blood tests. How strong the fear is and how much it affects your everyday life varies.
Fear can be a healthy reaction to something that poses a threat. Fear helps us avoid situations that are dangerous. But if you have a phobia, you react with fear that is exaggerated in such a way that what you are afraid of is not a threat or something dangerous. On the contrary, taking blood tests, vaccinating you or taking other syringes may be necessary for your health.
Syringe fear can have a variety of causes
There may be various reasons why you have developed a fear of syringes. If you, as a child, have had unpleasant knitting experiences, it can cause you to become scared. If you have been ill for a period of time and have had to experience many needle sticks, it can also lead to you developing a spray fear.
Some may feel that it feels difficult not to have complete control over the stabbing situation. Others do not like the health care staff doing anything with their own bodies.
How can I do to manage my spraying fear?
The first step to being aware of your fear is to pay attention to your behavior. For fear to disappear it does not help to avoid syringes and blood tests. You can overcome your fear by getting used to needles and stitches step by step. Stay in the stick situation even though you first become scared and notice how your fears are affected.
Before the knitting occasion
There are several things you can do to help yourself in a sticky situation.
Tell the staff how you feel
Tell the health care provider that you are scared or feel uncomfortable in the situation. Ask for support or extra time if you need it. That someone understands you can facilitate and help you deal with the situation. The staff will also have the opportunity to support you if they find out that you are feeling uncomfortable. Then together you can talk about how they can help you relax and feel safe.
It can be good to lie down
You can ask to lie down if you get dizzy or dizzy from seeing needles or blood. This way you avoid falling.
Tell me if you are sensitive to pain
Everyone is different in pain. If you are scared, insecure or have pain in your body, it can affect how you feel about getting a stab. Therefore, it is good to tell the healthcare staff that you are pain-sensitive, have pain or are worried.
Use anesthetic cream or patch
To prevent the sting from hurting, you can use anesthetic cream or patch with an anesthetic cream. You can buy them over the counter at pharmacies. They are ironed or put on the skin where the sting is to be done, a moment before. Talk to the staff before the visit and ask where on the body you will get the knit, so you know where to put the patch or cream and how long before you need to do it. Read the instructions on the package leaflet.
Creams and patches anesthetize the skin on the spot, but not the muscle underneath. When you get a vaccination, the vaccine is injected into the muscle and it can sting a little.
You can distract yourself when you get to knit
At the time of knitting, it can make it easier if, for example, you look away, listen to music on headphones or try to think of something else.
Symptoms of syringe phobia
If you have syringe phobia, you will experience a strong fear of taking blood tests or syringes. You may avoid seeking care or vaccinating yourself for fear of needle sticks.
If the fear is so strong that it prevents you from various situations and avoids syringes and sticks, it is counted as a phobia. Syringe fear is called a specific phobia and is a variant of blood phobia.
When you have syringe phobia, it is common to react in one of the following two ways:
- Your blood pressure drops sharply. You can get dizzy and sometimes even faint.
- You will experience panic symptoms, such as palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and experiencing loss of control.
Both reactions can be perceived as very unpleasant, but they are harmless.
When and where should I seek care?
Seek care if you feel that you cannot handle your spray and it will hinder you in your life.
You can seek care at any health care center or a psychiatric outpatient clinic you want throughout the country.
You who go to school can talk to student health. You who are under the age of 23-25 can contact a youth reception. The age limit varies between different receptions.
Treatment of syringe phobia
Spray phobia can be treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (KBT).
Most people who get KBT against syringe phobia are helped. During treatment, you will slowly get used to syringes. You train to stop associating syringes with danger. How the treatment is set up can look a bit different depending on if you get panic symptoms from syringes or if you get a drop in blood pressure, become dizzy and maybe faint.
A method of not fainting
It is common to have a drop in blood pressure and sometimes even faint if you have a phobia. Therefore, you can get help with a treatment method called applied voltage. The method is to tighten your muscles, which increases blood pressure. It prevents blood pressure from lowering and therefore reduces the risk of dizziness.
You who are related to someone who has syringe phobia can experience both anxiety and frustration and not know what to do. Therefore, it can be helpful if you get to know what phobias are and what help the person may need. You can encourage the person to seek help for their phobia and offer your help and support. But it is the person himself who needs to take the initiative to seek help.