- Blood phobia
Blood phobia (also, AE: Hemophobia, BE: Haemophobia) is the extreme and
irrational fear ofblood . Acute cases of this fear can cause physical reactions that are uncommon in most other fears, specificallyvasovagal syncope (fainting). [cite web
title = The Merck Manual
accessdate = 2007-05-19
url = http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec15/ch196/ch196e.html] Similar reactions can also occur withtrypanophobia and traumatophobia. For this reason, these three phobias are categorized as "blood-injection-injury phobia" by the DSM-IV. [Citation
last = Lipsitz
first = JD
last2 = Barlow
first2 = DH
last3 = Mannuzza
first3 = S
last4 = Hofmann
first4 = SG
last5 = Fyer
first5 = AJ
title = Clinical features of four DSM-IV-specific phobia subtypes
journal = The Journal Of Nervous And Mental Disease
volume = 190
issue = 7
pages = 471-8
date = Jul
year = 2002] Some early texts refer to this category as "blood-injury-illness phobia."Citation
last = Thyer
first = Bruce A.
last2 = Himle
first2 = Joseph
last3 = Curtis
first3 = George C.
title = Blood-Injury-Illness Phobia: A Review
journal = Journal Of Clinical Psychology
volume = 41
issue = 4
pages = 451-9
date = Jul
year = 1985]Etiology
Blood phobia is often caused by direct or vicarious trauma in childhood or adolescence. There is also a genetic component to blood phobia. [Citation
last = Neale
first = MC
last2 = Walters
first2 = EE
last3 = Eaves
first3 = LJ
last4 = Kessler
first4 = RC
last5 = Heath
first5 = AC
last6 = Kendler
first6 = KS
title = Genetics of blood-injury fears and phobias: a population-based twin study
journal = American Journal Of Medical Genetics
volume = 54
issue = 4
pages = 326-34
date = December 15, 1994
year = 1994]Treatment
In patients with vasovagal blood phobia, patients who are successfully treated with psychological interventions are seen as unique.Citation
last = Van Dijk
first = Nynke
last2 = Velzeboer
first2 = Simone CJM
last3 = Destrée-Vonk
first3 = Anneke
last4 = Linzer
first4 = Mark
last5 = Wieling
first5 = Wouter
title = Psychological treatment of malignant vasovagal syncope due to bloodphobia.
journal = Pacing And Clinical Electrophysiology
volume = 24
issue = 1
pages = 122-4
date = January 2001
year = 2001] In contrast, many behavioral techniques useful in mitigating vasovagal syncope, such as applying tension to the muscles in an effort to increase blood pressure, are helpful to patients with blood phobia. [Citation
last = Peterson
first = Alan L. (Lt. Col.)
last2 = Isler III
first2 = William C. (Capt.)
title = Applied tension treatment of vasovagal syncope during pregnancy
journal = Military Medicine
volume = 169
issue = 9
pages = 751-3
date = September 2004
year = 2004] Medical devices, such aspacemakers , are also used to treat patients with blood-phobia.References
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