Trypanophobia (Fear of Needles)

What is trypanophobia?

Trypanophobia (trih-PAN-o-foe-bee-uh) is the overwhelming, extreme fear of medical procedures that involve needles. It's closely related to phobias of needles, pins or sharp objects. But people with trypanophobia specifically fear needles in the medical setting.

Needle phobia is a type of specific phobia. Intense trypanophobia can interfere with your life. A severe fear may cause you to miss necessary doctor’s appointments or follow prescribed treatments.

Who might get trypanophobia?

A few factors can increase your risk of developing trypanophobia. These include:

• History of negative or traumatic experiences with needles.
• Family history of needle phobia.
• Other fears related to illness or medicine, such as hypochondria or germaphobia (mysophobia).
• Other anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

What causes trypanophobia?

Experts don’t always identify a single cause of trypanophobia. Different people may be afraid of specific aspects of needles or injections. People may have:

• Hypersensitivity to pain (hyperalgesia).
• Fear of being restrained (merinthophobia), which may be triggered when receiving an injection.
• Negative or traumatic memories triggered by seeing a needle.
• Vasovagal reactions (passing out or situational syncope) at the sight or touch of a needle.

What are the symptoms of trypanophobia?

People with trypanophobia have intense anxiety at the sight or thought of a procedure involving a needle. Sometimes, this anxiety is so severe that it's debilitating. It may lead to a panic attack (a sudden wave of anxiety that causes physical symptoms).

Needle phobia may cause people to avoid or even run away from medical care. Other signs of trypanophobia may include:

• Dizziness or fainting (syncope).
• Heart racing or heart palpitations.
• Insomnia.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Temporarily increased blood pressure.

How is trypanophobia diagnosed?

Healthcare providers use the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Needle phobia is a type of specific phobic disorder, blood-injection-injury type, in the DSM. A provider may diagnose trypanophobia if you have intense fear or anxiety when you see a needle or need an injection.

Your provider may ask questions to assess the severity of your fear of needles. Your provider may want to know:

• How long you've been afraid of needles.
• What symptoms you experience when you see a needle.
• How long your symptoms last.
• If fearing needles interferes with your ability to get medical care.

How is trypanophobia treated?

There's no single way to treat trypanophobia. You may need to try multiple strategies to lessen trypanophobia symptoms. Your provider may recommend:

• Exposure therapy involves slowly introducing the specific fear into your life. A therapist may show you pictures of a needle, have you stand near a needle, or ask you to hold one. Over time, the goal is to change your physical and mental response to seeing a needle.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), often called talk therapy, involves talking about the fear with a therapist. You learn new coping techniques and different ways to think about needles. CBT helps you have more control over symptoms.
• Medication may be helpful if you still feel extreme stress around needles after going through therapy.

How can I overcome trypanophobia?

For many people, trypanophobia never goes away completely. You may learn to use coping strategies that lessen symptoms. You may:

• Avoid watching the needle stick or looking at the needle itself.
• Bring a support person, like a spouse, friend or family member, to medical appointments.
• Distract yourself by wiggling your toes, looking intently at a pattern on the wall or chatting with someone during the needle stick.
• Lie down before getting a needle stick, especially if you have fainted or felt dizzy in the past.
• Practice deep-breathing techniques, such as counting to four on each inhale and exhale.
• Relax the muscle where you're receiving an injection to decrease pain.
• Request a numbing agent such as a freezing spray to numb your skin before the needle prick.
• Tell the person giving you an injection or blood draw that you have a fear of needles.

Are there other conditions that put me at higher risk?

You may be more likely to develop needle phobia if you have another mental health diagnosis, such as:

• Germaphobia.
• Hypochondria.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Are there long-term effects from trypanophobia?

Untreated trypanophobia can have severe consequences. The fear may cause you to delay or forego necessary medical care.

If you have a chronic health condition, avoiding medical care can significantly increase your risk of health complications. In medical emergencies, delaying or avoiding medical care can even lead to death.

With treatment, many people can manage trypanophobia symptoms. Therapy or medication may help decrease anxiety enough that you can receive medical treatment.

What should I ask my doctor?

You might want to ask your healthcare provider:

• What is the most likely cause of trypanophobia?
• What can I do to relax before medical appointments?
• What are the available treatments for trypanophobia?
• Can I overcome trypanophobia?

How do I know if I have trypanophobia?

If you feel extreme anxiety every time you see a needle or think about an injection, you may have trypanophobia. Often, people with this phobia have symptoms when they know they need to get an injection or blood draw. They may feel dizziness, nausea or heart palpitations.

Typically, needles are the only trigger for this fear. If you have extreme anxiety symptoms at other times, your symptoms may relate to another condition.