Needle Phobia in Blood-Injection-Injury DSM-IV

Fear, Avoidance of Needles, Doctors, Dentists, and Medical Settings

Nov 5, 2009

Under-acknowledged and under-treated, needle phobia often results in needle phobics' avoidance of dentists and doctors because of extreme fear of medical procedures.

Needle phobia is the fear of needles, receiving injections, and medical procedures in general. Needle phobia was officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994. The scientific name of needle phobia is trypanophobia.

Needle phobia is listed under the Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia category of the DSM-IV. The phobias in this category involve the fear of blood, injury, shots, and other medical procedures. It is estimated that needle phobia affects about 10 percent of the population.

Why Is Needle Phobia a Problem?

Needle phobia is an under-recognized and under-acknowledged condition that has dangerous ramifications. Like other phobias, the severity of needle phobia can range from mild to very serious. Some people with needle phobia avoid medical and dental care altogether. Needle phobics are terrified of blood tests, receiving shots, and other procedures involving needle sticks. Some needle phobic individuals may refuse to comply with medical treatments that they require, such as insulin injections.

Needle phobics face a myriad challenges in life. Avoidance of medical care puts them at higher risk of premature death. The fear of blood testing causes some individuals to avoid applying for life insurance. Most individuals suffering from this phobia avoid careers in the medical profession. Some women who have this phobia avoid having children.

What Causes Needle Phobia?

The causes of needle phobia are not completely clear. It seems that genetic and environmental factors play a role. Around 80 percent of people who have a first-degree relative (e.g., parent, sibling) with needle phobia also suffer from the condition. Some psychologists believe that evolution may also be a factor. In the past, puncture wounds frequently resulted in severe infection and could be life threatening. Avoidance of these injuries could have helped humans survive.

Needle phobia frequently begins in childhood. Typically there is an event that triggers the onset of needle phobia. For instance, a child’s negative experience with a doctor or dentist could cause him or her to fear needles. As time goes on, the child's fear could intensify and develop into full-fledged needle phobia. A phobic individual’s fear of needles then often becomes associated with any situation in which needles might be present.

What Are the Symptoms of Needle Phobia?

The most common symptom of needle phobia is anxiety. This anxiety often causes a person to experience sweating, increased heart rate, heart palpitations, pallor, dizziness, decreased blood pressure, and nausea. Sometimes the level of anxiety increases to the point that the needle phobic has a full-blown panic attack and/or faints. Needle phobics sometimes have convulsions or experience loss of bowel and bladder control.

How Is Needle Phobia Treated?

There has been success in treating needle phobia using different methods. Doctors who are open, caring, respectful, nonjudgmental. and sympathetic, and who provide reassurance can help a person who suffers from needle phobia experience less of a negative reaction to medical procedures.

It may be useful for a needle phobic to lie down with his or her feet elevated prior to receiving an injection to lessen the chance of fainting. Sometimes topical anesthesia, anti-anxiety medications, and/or nitrous oxide (laughing gas) may be necessary to calm a patient prior to a medical procedure.

Is There Hope for Needle Phobics?

There is much that can be done to help needle phobics deal with their fear of medical procedures. Being proactive in responding to the phobia is key. It is important for doctors to be familiar with this phobia and ways of treating it and for needle phobics to discuss their condition with their physician.

There are many treatment options that can help individuals suffering from needle phobia manage their phobia so that they can receive the medical care they need. Left unacknowledged and/or untreated, however, needle phobia can be very problematic and even life-threatening if the needle phobic avoids medical care.

The copyright of the article Needle Phobia in Blood-Injection-Injury DSM-IV in Phobias/Anxiety is owned by Aimee Larsen Stoddard. Permission to republish Needle Phobia in Blood-Injection-Injury DSM-IV in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.