Usually when I need to get blood drawn, if the phlebotomist asks me if I'm nervous...I respond with, "No, are you?"
Sometimes, I find when I am asked this question, it is an inexperienced person who is getting ready to insert that needle into my arm.
This happened just last month, which resulted in one tube of blood being accidentally thrown away, and an additional insertion of a needle, since the phlebotomist didn't have a clue...
I certainly don't mind having blood drawn, or watching the procedure.
But, as most of us know, there are people who are afraid to have blood drawn and are afraid of the site of blood, and even faint.
"Looking at blood can be hard on anyone, but for some people, it can be a huge problem. Up to 30 percent of children are afraid of the sight of blood, a response that usually continues into adulthood, according to the definitive study on the topic, by Isaac Marks of the Institute of Psychiatry in London. That study also revealed that approximately 15 percent of the adult population faints when donating blood.
Fainting at the sight of blood generally comes from an overactive vasovagal response, an evolutionary fear reflex.
Read the rest of the article at PopSci.com (don't faint...it has a graphic)
Why Does Blood Make Some People Squeamish, But Not Others? í here
