I’m female and I get woozy at the sight of blood…but not menstrual blood. That’s just gross and doesn’t make me feel faint. Maybe because I know it’s not an injury? I also can cope with knocked off scabs leading to bleeding.
But blood draws and someone getting hurt or a nose bleed are right out. And it turns out that the sight of blood also shoots my blood pressure up for a little while - at a health clinic I had my blood pressure taken literally 2 minutes after watching them do a blood stick on my finger and the nurse was quite concerned because my blood pressure was in the 170s. I explained the phobia and she retook it 5 minutes later and it was down to the high 130s, which is still high for me but a lot less worrisome.
As other’s said, it’s common. In fact, it’s plenty common. A lot of people get squeamish (sometimes to the point of gagging) when the mention of blood comes up in a conversation.
I, OTOH, always seem to surprise nurses when I feel the need to watch them put an IV in. It stings, but it really doesn’t bother me at all. Even with my dentist seems to find it off when I make it obvious he doesn’t have to make a big ordeal over any shots he has to give me in my mouth. Just get it over with, I’ll be fine.
It’s a form of hypoxia. Sometimes it’s severe enough that the mere mention of blood can trigger feeling faint.
For me, it’s mostly limited to when I have to get a blood draw. No matter how well I try to prepare beforehand, I can get extremely dizzy and my vision blacks out, although so far I’ve managed to avoid actually passing out. I feel it’s a combination of both low blood pressure and high anxiety when it comes to getting blood drawn (I had a horrible experience the first time, as a 6 year old). But the last time it happened was actually during a scalp biopsy, where I wasn’t anxious at all, but because it was on my head the dizziness still hit me hard.
It’s happened twice while watching a movie, although for the most part I’m able to handle gory scenes just first. The first time was in high school, and we watched a film about the Manson murders. started growing extremely dizzy, asked to leave the classroom, and fell down in the hallway just outside. The second time was just last year, watching the end of Gerald’s Game. I had to close my eyes and rest my head on the floor. At least it happened at home - it’s worse when it’s anywhere else.
Same! If I’m at the doctor and I have no reason to believe I’ll be getting a blood draw, my blood pressure is quite low (like, 120/80). If I’m getting a blood draw it’s way up there, and I hear comments about how high it is! Heck, when I was getting my health check years ago for a hospital job, we had to get a TB test done, among other things. I had to get blood drawn as well. My blood pressure was so high that day, when I went back in 2 days later to have the TV test read, the nurse rechecked my blood pressure just to make sure it wasn’t always that high!
Fortunately, shots in general I’m a lot better about than I used to be. It’s just blood draws that lead to a LOT of stress. I feel awful for anyone taking blood from me, not because I try to be difficult, but I feel like just asking to lie down and for them to try the side of my arm first makes me one of those annoying, demanding patients.
Totally anecdotal, but I’ve heard phlebotomists say they don’t mind that. If you know what it’s going to take (how you need to positions yourself, where to poke you etc) to get a vein on the first shot, by all means, tell them. They don’t want to stick you a dozen times either.
I even heard (well, read) one person saying that IV drug users are the easiest because they can show you exactly the right spot.
I’m not sure if the side of my arm makes it easier for them to get blood - jury is out as one tech really struggled and had to poke me again on the other arm while the last one managed totally fine. I hadn’t been expecting a blood draw for the latter, however, and hadn’t spent the entire day before drinking water. The latter time I did do that, and they let me completely lie down, which I’m sure is why that draw went as smoothly as it did.
The former time was horrible. Don’t read this if you get tingly about blood draws. They had a cozy chair for draws, but nothing that let me actually lie down. I decided to suck it up, but asked if she’d try the side of my arm for the poke. She did, but after trying for a minute (plenty of time for my head to get hot and my vision to speckle out) gave up and said she needed to switch sides. She did, poking me right in the crease of my arm (which I’m sure works fine, but that skin is sensitive af and I really HATE being poked there). She was getting blood, so yay, but then told me she had to stop because, “your vein exploded.”
Guys. No. NEVER tell a patient prone to hypoxia that their vein exploded. I get you’re not being literal. But I’m instantly imagining all sorts of things best not imagined when I’m on the cusp of passing out. No. Bad technician. I ended up telling that little story to the last nurse who drew blood, and she assured me she’d never say that to anyone she was drawing blood from (I talked to her about it after the needle was out and I was free from dizziness).
That’s the main reason you’re made to wait a while after donating blood. It’s not just that you’re a pint short but also there’s a physiological reaction that has nothing to do with your mental state.
I used to donate blood regularly and one time I and another donor were talking as we were waiting out the fifteen minutes. She was an 8-gallon donor – that’s one of the things you brag about – we were chatting away normaly, then she had just enough time to say, “Oh, my,” and put her head down on the tabletop before she was out cold. I had to jump up and reach across the table to hold under her arms or she would have rolled to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
The staff was there in seconds and got her on the floor with her legs elevated. She recovered and was eased back into her chair after about five minutes, thoroughly embarrassed and said that had never happened to her before. I made a believer out of me and I never tried to shade the time after that.
If anyone knows of a name for squeamishness around talk of surgery or injuries or mutilation, but not specifically with blood or needles, please diagnose me!
I think the tingly feeling comes from a lack of oxygen to the extremities. I think the lack of blood flow to the extremities comes from changing your heart rate. So the low blood pressure (and the white face) comes from the heart, not by expanding the capillaries.
Huh, I’m one of those billion gallon donors, and I once almost passed out after a donation. I stupidly skipped breakfast. If I hadn’t had this scrawny-but-brawny 90 year old with an iron grip on my arm, I’d have been out before I got to the cookie table.
You would be surprised how many high school students think a piece of toast is a big breakfast. It’s why the bloodmobiles are kept chilly with the AC…to minimize the body’s reaction to LOSING A PINT OF BLOOD I MUST FREAK OUT NOW DANGER DANGER. The donor staff knows exactly what to do so I just try to stay out of the way. Usually the reaction doesn’t last long.
It’s not an uncommon reaction. Drinking plenty of fluids, having a good meal beforehand, and taking it easy for the rest of the day can help too.
Yep - the staff at the donor clinics absolutely know what they are talking about (I guess, because they have seen it all before) - in the UK, we get drinks and snacks both before and after donating, but they won’t serve hot drinks to anyone who is there for the first time, because there is a greater than normal (and unknown) risk that they might suddenly pass out and spill hot tea on themselves.
Yeah, when I was a kid and had to get blood drawn, the nurses would always tell me to look away, and I refused. The surprise at being pricked was worse, to me, than watching and knowing when to expect it. Shots hurts a lot more, I guess because they were straight into muscle rather than at an oblique angle hitting a vein, but I had no issues with blood draws and IVs or anything like that.
My wife, though, is similar to the OP. Any mention of any detail of any medical procedure and she visibly winces, becomes uncomfortable, and asks to change the subject or puts her hands over her ears if, for some reason, that is not possible.
Reading this thread it struck me that I’ve never given blood, despite several opportunities, and quite obviously this is why. I think I’m a generous guy – with time, money, and effort – but every time the bloodmobile or whatever was nearby, and folks talked about going to give blood, I declined, without quite knowing why I didn’t want to do it.
The idea still scares me, but I should probably try it just to see if I can.
I feel ya, iiandyiiii. I’m okay with hearing about blood, and I’ve learned not to freak out over a blood draw; but I know to turn my head and not look. Can’t stand the sight of my own blood - makes me light-headed.
Doesn’t even have to be real blood. I got dizzy one Hallowe’en, applying fake blood under my eyes. Cool effect, but the feeling of it running down my face, plus the sight of that dark red, had me bending over and clutching my knees.
Let the donor staff know your issues. They should be trained on dealing with first time donors and can usually get you through it. At least you’ll know what’s involved. For many people, the fear in their head is greater than the reality.