First­ly, know you’re not alone. We know it isn’t the most fun job on your to-do list. Esti­mates show that as many as 2 in 3 chil­dren and 1 in 4 adults have strong fears around needles.

Many peo­ple remem­ber feel­ing dis­com­fort or pain and wor­ry it will hap­pen again in future at oth­er pro­ce­dures involv­ing nee­dles. This is typical.

For some, these fears are more seri­ous and can con­tin­ue as you grow up. This is called a phobia.

Do you have a phobia?

Peo­ple with a nee­dle pho­bia feel a range of phys­i­cal and emo­tion­al symp­toms, including:

• Anx­i­ety and pan­ic attacks
• Dizzi­ness and feel­ing light-headed
• Faint­ing
• Nau­sea and vomiting
• Sweat­ing and trembling
• Fast heart­beat and short­ness of breath
• Feel­ing like you need to run from the situation.

Why do some people have needle phobias?

Nee­dle pho­bia, also known as try­panopho­bia (trih-PAN-o-foe-bee-uh), can come from a past expe­ri­ence of pain.

There are bio­log­i­cal fac­tors that can make some peo­ple react very strong­ly to the thought of needles.

While the exact caus­es of nee­dle pho­bias are unknown, there are many risk fac­tors, such as:

• Genet­ics: A fam­i­ly his­to­ry of pho­bias or anx­i­ety dis­or­ders can increase your risk.
• Past neg­a­tive expe­ri­ences: Hav­ing a painful or trau­mat­ic expe­ri­ence with nee­dles can trig­ger phobias.
• Mis­in­for­ma­tion: Neg­a­tive media or mis­lead­ing infor­ma­tion about nee­dles can add to fear.

How we support you

We want you to have an easy, com­fort­able expe­ri­ence and get the care and treat­ment you need.

Our qual­i­fied and expe­ri­enced col­lec­tion staff are here to sup­port you.

If you’re feel­ing ner­vous about a test, try our tips for mak­ing your vis­it easier.

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