Nobody really likes being pricked with a needle, but around 10% of the population suffers from nervousness and anxiety when it comes to injections. Some develop a real phobia of injections and even faint when the doctor arrives with a syringe.
The symptoms of syringe phobia are characterised by a drop in blood pressure, sweating, breathing difficulties, palpitations or fainting spells as soon as their skin comes into contact with the injection needle. The fear can become so extreme that many people delay going to the doctor and ignore health problems.
Anyone who suffers from syringe phobia or severe nervousness should tell their doctor or nurse at their next visit. They are certainly not unfamiliar with such cases and have developed techniques to help their patients. It also helps to hear from the doctor themselves that they have experience with fear of injections. There are often alternative ways of administering the medication in question.
When the injection is given, it is helpful to lie flat or have your legs elevated to prevent a sudden fainting spell. You should remain lying down until you feel strong enough to stand up again. It is important to get up slowly.
In the case of extreme phobia, a fast-acting anti-anxiety medication can be administered, for example benzodiazepines, which take effect within 5 to 15 minutes of ingestion. Anyone who decides in favour of a medication should be accompanied by a companion.
Injection phobics who are prone to fainting can also find relief with beta-blockers. Beta-blockers slow down the heartbeat and thus cause the ventricle to fill up more. They also dilate the blood vessels and thus lower blood pressure.
Finally, breathing techniques help to control anxiety. Dizziness and fainting occur when the brain is not supplied with enough oxygen. Nervousness and anxiety often make you unconsciously stop breathing or cause hyperventilation, which leaves the brain undersupplied. Anxiety can be controlled through abdominal breathing. Breathe in deeply and press down on the abdominal muscles so that the stomach bulges outwards. When you breathe out, pull your stomach in again. There is little movement in the chest.
