No one likes getting stuck by a needle. Whether for a blood test, vaccination, venipuncture or blood donation, needle sticks are something most people would prefer to avoid.
Yet, judging only by schedules for routine vaccinations and tests, the average healthy person can expect at least 165 needle sticks over a lifetime. Get hospitalized? That might add dozens or even hundreds more.
Needle fear is thought to affect from 20-50% in adolescents and 20-30% in young adults (McLenon, 2018).
Trypanophobia (needle phobia) tends to be more common in children and may lessen as people grow older and have more experience with medical procedures.
Last researches show that 4% of parents reported they postponed getting a vaccine for their child, and 3% had canceled or delayed an appointment, because of their child’s fear of going to the doctor. World Health Organization ranked vaccine hesitancy as a top-10 global health threat. Nowadays: Needle phobia could be the cause of 10% of COVID vaccine hesitancy in the UK – new research
VR distraction
Those cute pictures of puppies on your dentist’s ceiling have an important purpose. You feel less pain when distracted. Virtual reality offers a more immersive distraction than pictures, television, or toys. Wearing a VR headset also prevents patients from watching the procedure. It has been noted before that VR can be used to combat both anxiety and pain.
Researches show that the pain and fear were reduced in 94.1% of study subjects.
As VR becomes cheaper and more accessible, it is becoming a popular tool in medicine, including treating phobias, anxiety, pain, and more.
Comments