Epistaxiophobia- Fear of nosebleeds
Nosebleeds can cause great upset and fear in children and adults alike, the idea of seeing blood and very often copious amounts of it can really be distressing. I say this from the perspective of a person who suffered terrible nosebleeds in my youth. People who have a pathological fear of nosebleeds are said to suffer from epistaxiophobia. It should be noted that this is very different to simply panicking when seeing blood, especially from the facial area, this is perfectly normal and expected. However, if you should fear the whole idea of a nosebleed even when you are not experiencing one, or if you believe that the nosebleed is something more serious like a tumour or brain haemorrhage, then it could be said that you are suffering from epistaxiophobia.
There are several possible causes for nosebleeds, such as having dry sinuses caused by circulated or air conditioned air, or there may be no obvious cause which makes the avoidance of nosebleeds very difficult indeed. One can try to ensure that the nasal passages remain moist, but this is not always possible. Time distortion can happen with sufferers as they may well experience that the nosebleed lasts far longer than it does in reality. As I previously stated most everyone at some point of their life experiences a nosebleed, but to find oneself thinking and worrying about it to excess is when it becomes a phobia.
Ensuring that any form of therapy emphasises that even when a nosebleed occurs, the client will be safe is essential. Use of hypnosis and exposure therapy may also be of use to the sufferer in order to resolve their condition.
