Hemophobia Symptoms

Hemophobia is the fear of blood. Hemophobia shares many characteristics of other phobias, which are classified as an anxiety disorder. People with phobias experience strong physical and psychological reactions to whatever triggers their phobia. Consequently, many people who suffer from phobia-based anxiety attacks avoid these triggers at all costs.

Physical Symptoms

People suffering from an anxiety attack as a result of hemophobia experience a number of physical symptoms as a result of the body's natural response to fear. These include an increased heart rate as well as elevated blood pressure. Some hemophobics also take fast, shallow breaths when they see blood and experience uncontrollable trembling. Hemophobia can also cause changes in blood flow during an anxiety attack, due to the effects of adrenaline. Specifically, blood is shunted away from the skin and the digestive tract, leading to cool or clammy skin as well as a feeling that the patient's "stomach is dropping."

Psychological Symptoms

People who suffer from hemophobia will also experience various psychological symptoms when they see blood or an injection (or, in some cases, when they even think about either or both). These include feelings of panic, horror, terror or dread. During a phobia-induced anxiety attack, hemophobics may be aware that their reactions and fear are irrational---in that they extend beyond a normal response. They will also have automatic and uncontrollable reactions that may overwhelm their thoughts and take extreme measures to avoid blood or injections.

Fainting

In some cases, an anxiety attack from a phobic reaction can be severe enough to cause fainting. This loss of consciousness can cause a separate phobia to develop: a fear of fainting. In these cases, the two phobias may play off of each other, so that the original fear of blood develops a synergy with the fear of fainting, causing the patient to become more anxious at the sight or thought of blood.