Trypanophobia is an extreme fear of any medical procedure that involves either needles or injections, and this particular disorder affects approximately ten percent of Americans.
However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, that is, the manual used by clinicians in the diagnosis of mental health disorders, only recognized it as a phobia in the 1994 4th edition.
Sometimes, this condition is called belonephobia, aichmophobia, or enetophobia, with these terms often used to denote the fear of needles, pins, or sharp objects.
Usually, the general public refers to this condition as “needle phobia,” however, it only is specific to medical needles.
Symptoms of Trypanophobia
Dreading seeking medical attention, especially injections, is a clear indication that you have trypanophobia.
Furthermore, another sign showing you have this disorder is any time you are expected to undertake a medical procedure, you experience a higher heart rate hour and, in some cases, even days preceding the procedure and high blood pressure.
Usually, when undergoing a medical procedure, you may experience a dramatic drop in your blood pressure, and in extreme instances, you may even faint.
Dangers of Trypanophobia
Trypanophobia is typically accompanied by physical symptoms as well as the real risk of possibly changing your behavior.
Additionally, individuals with this disorder avoid visiting the dentist, getting medical attention, plus following the prescribed treatments due to the fear of getting an injection.
Whereas this condition is the fear of needles, it might consequently evolve into an overall fear of both dental and medical healthcare providers.
Likewise, in some extreme cases, some people refuse to get routine check-ups altogether.
Causes of Trypanophobia
The exact cause of this fear of needles is still unknown by scientists. Furthermore, research shows that about 80 percent of the affected individuals have a close relative who also suffers from this disorder.
Nevertheless, there is a likelihood that trypanophobia might actually not be inherited biologically but instead learned.
Other evolutionary psychologists also argue that the fear of needles might actually be entrenched in ancient human survival tactics.
The reason for this argument is that during these days, before the invention of modern antibiotics, having a puncture wound was possibly fatal.
Thus, the fear of having the skin punctured might be an evolutionary adaptation.
Treatment of Trypanophobia
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an effective method that has been implemented in the treatment of trypanophobia.
Usually, it is done through methods like systematic desensitization, which is a modification of exposure therapy, and this consequently enables you to learn how to stomach needles bit by bit.
Moreover, other medical professionals have been successful in using hypnotherapy on their patients.
Irrespective of the technique used, the primary objective of all these interventions is to expose you to needles gradually and in a controlled as well as safe situation.
Usually, it starts with you being shown a syringe that does not have a needle, after that a syringe having a needle and ultimately letting you handle the needle.
Needle-Free Medicines
New ways of delivering medications are always being developed at any one time. Therefore, if you have trypanophobia, you can still get the necessary treatment to help remedy this disorder without needing to be exposed to needles completely.
For example, jet injections typically force medicines below the skin under intense pressure; compared to needle injections, they are less agonizing.
Likewise, it minimizes the chances of accidental sticks by the healthcare experts plus is very handy because you can use it to self-medicate. In the future, this innovation of jet injectors will most likely be prevalent in healthcare.
Moreover, research is being done on potentially needle-free methods of carrying out needed medical tests as well as testing people with diabetes.
Nonetheless, other medicines must be delivered intravenously, meaning the use of needles in such instances is unavoidable.
