eli5: I’m very afraid to get blood drawn. I’ve had an IV twice before and it hurt alot. This developed my fear of needles. Does getting blood drawn hurt? What are the results you may feel?
In: Biology
Not a fan of needles either, so it’s the initial poke I hate. I don’t feel it being drawn out at all. Either for a blood sample (small amt, small needle) or for a donation (larger amount, garden hose sized needle). It’ll be fine.
Penetration of the skin is what causes the pain. It can hurt worse when you tense up because it makes the area more sensitive due to the rush of blood, as well as making it more difficult to insert the needle. Most of the discomfort is going to come from you thinking about having your skin pierced, and you can manage the pain by focusing on your breath or counting in your head. After the procedure, leave the area alone and let the blood clot, you may have a little bit of irritation. If you have dermatographia the irritation could last up to 15 minutes.
Nausea, dizzines and/or soreness from the puncture.
Not Much else, just tell the nurse/doc hos you Feel and let them know your condition, og you tense up and you Feel Dizzy, just relax, the worst part is getting the needle in, and thats over in a blink.
Remember to eat som sugar, salt and water after.
The pain is little more than a pinch as the needle goes in and there is a throb afterwards you don’t feel the blood leaving your body.
The pain of the initial puncture gets worse if you tense up or move your arm primarily because the person drawing the blood can’t do it painlessly if you’re moving your arm/flinching etc., try to be relaxed, distract yourself and look away.
Please do not avoid the test altogether, especially during these times..
you might feel a pinch as you get the needle in – nausea and nervousness are possible if needles and blood freak you out. after the needle is removed it might still throb a bit like if you had gotten stung. the injection site will probably bruise
if you are donating blood you might feel a bit chilly, and it is possible to feel lightheaded if you haven’t eaten much
Like the comments say, it’s the initial puncture that hurts, and if they don’t get it right the first, second, or however many times they have to try, then sure, you may have some pain, but it shouldn’t really be all that bad.
IVs, IIRC, are weird amongst needles things. They can definitely cause more pain from what I remember, though I’m not exactly certain why. I may even just be wrong. However blood draws are usually not bad.
I HATED needles as a kid, so I had a hard time before the needle got in, but apparently I stared the phlebotomist down as he/she actually DREW the blood, so it must not have hurt that bad back then. I got over it now so needles don’t bother me any more, except for some specific vaccinations/boosters.
Ask for the baby needle! It’s smaller and thinner and I don’t mind if it takes a bit longer, but it’s helped me cope with my terror of needles.
Pain is an extremely subjective feeling. My favorite story of this is there was a construction worker out of the UK who had stepped on a nail. It had gone straight through the sole of his boot and the the top. The entire trip in the ambulance to the hospital he swore up and down he was in immense pain, yelling and screaming. When they got to the hospital and were able to safely remove the boot they found the nail hadn’t even broken skin, it had gone completely between his toes, but his brain toll him it had gone straight through his foot and thus he should be in immense pain.
Similarly, needles actually don’t hurt that much. There is the initial pinch as they break skin, but they they’re beyond pain receptors. You believe that it’s going to hurt a lot so it will always hurt a lot. Overcoming it requires some bravery and visualisation of that needle and it not hurting as much as you remember.
No it doesn’t hurt, if anything it’s a pinch. Now giving plasma can be a little more uncomfortable lol..
My trick to getting through sticks easily is to breath deeply, smoothly and controlled while staring to the side. This occupies your mind (and anecdotally helps you bear the pain) and before you know it they’ve already got the vials filled.
Another one I learned as a kid is to squeeze your eyes shut till you see stars haha, but I don’t use that anymore since I don’t wanna look like a weenie.
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