A Little Dizzy

I remember during my late teens, I used to feel dizzy, and at times had actually passed out after being exposed to or mere sight of blood. I believe having an empty stomach during those times helped trigger the quick onset of such passing out events.

I believe it is just a matter of getting used to, or being numb to such scenery! Something must have changed since I started working in a patient care environment. That having worked and daily exposures for some 35 years possibly made my tolerance to blood much higher?

Chelsey,

The clenching technique you describe is indeed effective. In addition to studies you mention, the 'Hook maneuver' has a long history of being used by fighter pilots to remain conscious during high Gs.

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The US Navy actually has the pilots say 'hook', when they clench. During the 'Hoo-' they are exhaling. At the '-k' their epiglottis closes and blood pressure in their head increases even more.

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The 'Hook' technique can useful for avoiding loss of consciousness related to low blood pressure, whether the reason is high G flying, or the sight of blood or other phobia.....and who knows, if the phobia happens to be of a particular live animal, perhaps loudly grunting 'HOOK' while you do an imitation of a body builder giving directions to the beach, will be enough to scare the animal away.

I think it has to do with anxiety. If the nurse is going to take blood from my arm, for example, if I see the needle going into my arm, I freeze up, but if I look the other way, I am relaxed and don't feel it. The sight of blood may cause someone to associate it with pain. If you were watching a scary movie, some people would shut their eyes when they anticipated a scene that is too scary. I would stop short of calling it a phobia.

The DSM classifies what you describe and other similar descriptions as phobias that fall under a subclass of specific phobias called 'Blood-injection-injury type phobias'....of which 'blood phobia' is one.

In the basic training camp, we got three injections, first in the left arm, step forward for one in the right arm, step forward and get another in the left arm. The first squaddie stepped up and the second in line watched the needle go in and promptly fainted. The third, was it his imagination? also fainted and then the fourth... down the line to me, and I suspect that the only reason I didn't go down was because I was laughing so damned hard I was doubled over.

I wondered if watching the man faint in front of him reinforced the needle phobia or if it was some kind of follow the leader instinct/reaction, or a combination.

I have first-hand experience with this too.

I fainted once while driving down the highway at 70 MPH.

Drove right off the road into an embankment and some trees.

When I came to, there was a tree against the drivers side door.

I felt perfectly fine after I got out.

I certainly feel lucky.

Now, I can feel it coming and do something sooner like lay down for a few minutes, eating a banana seems to help too (I don't know why)

I seem to bleed every day from some cut or scrape but my old boss would pass right out at the sight of blood.

Other than that he was a pretty macho guy, lol.

I can recall way back in my pre-military days, stories going around about medics using needles with a hook on the end. The thought of such a hook would cause guys to faint.