Ok, I just found this out the other night while watching a show where someone got an unexpected nosebleed. She started panicking and begging me to turn it off, which I did. Then she said her heart was pounding and sure enough I checked her pulse and her heart was racing! She then told me that she has had that problem before. She gets light headed and has what I can only describe as a panic attack.
My concern is, how is she going to deal when she starts her period? I have told her what to expect but when it becomes a reality, I just don't know how to help her. Have any of you dealt with this? I have a half brother who suffers from the same thing. He actually faints at the sight of blood. No biggie tho because well...he's male! So, no help there.
Another thing to note, her sister gets nose bleeds occasionally and she is alright around that, I think because she goes into helper mode.
Thank you all for taking the time to answer! My sister faints when she gets too hot, and as I mentioned, my half brother (we all share the same dad) faints at blood, needles, etc. I think the idea of having that on the medical charts is a great idea! I guess I was mainly concerned with whether or not people who have issues with blood experienced those issues during that time of the month. And yes, I am probably worrying unnecessarily. :)
Well, on the upside... Think of all the money you'll save from her not wanting to go to medical school...
If you think it's a phobia, then perhaps you can 1.) ask her pediatrician for suggestions on how to mitigate it; 2.) ask for a referral to a child psychologist or 3.) research whether hypnotism therapy will calm her anxiety. I have a friend who did hypnotism to change behavior and he swears it worked.
Not an answer really but just FYI--blood/injection phobia is proven to be genetic. Does anyone else in your family have this issue?
tv blood is scarier for some reason. in real life we just take "action".
You know, a good friend of my mom's was like that. I have no idea at all when it began or how she handled her period, but when we were kids, one of us fell playing at their house and got a cut on the head and there was a TON of blood.
His mom came out the door when he yelled, but she just froze and turned white as a sheet (I never understood that phrase before I saw someone actually DO it) and my mom was right behind her and she just sort of choked out "Patti, BLOOD" and went back into the house and almost passed out. My mom had to do all the mopping up, lol.
Ask your doctor how they think you ought to handle it. My mom's friend had 2 kids, so at some point she must have dealt with it! Good luck!
We have dear friends with a 15 year old daughter who is the same way. I'll have to ask how she deals with her period.
I wanted to caution you though because of something that very recently happened to this same 15 year old. She had recently been in a small car accident. No blood, just bumps and bruises. Her doctor is well aware of how she gets light headed at the sight of blood, as does her dad so it is genetic. Anyway, when her mom took her back into the doc for the follow up "Susie" was sitting upright on the exam table. NO mention of blood needles or anything. But when the doc put the x-rays up to show them how nothing was broken, she fainted. Fell off the exam table chin first! Had to have surgery to fix her jaw, was in ICU and had to have her jaw wired shut for 4 weeks. Just because she was looking at x-rays!
Apparently, there is a correlation to the fear of blood and needles and all of this is actually more common than you would think! Her mom, my friend, is now on a mission to make sure docs ask that question and it is recorded on the front of the chart just like allergies!
I get grossed out when I see blood on TV...but not on myself or my children, or other "real" people. I would say you are worried too much. I'm betting that a lot of people, no matter what the age, get sickened by the sight of blood of other people but not of the blood that comes from their own body. And you mentioned she is okay with her sister's nose bleeds. I say there is no problem except to closely monitor her television viewing until she's old enough to understand what is real and what is fake. I'm a grown woman and I get grossed out by some of the bloody scenes in Grey's Anatomy.
My middle brother and I are the same way--cannot stand to see anyone else's blood. But I've gotta say, I've never been phased by the sight of my own menstrual blood. Or my own blood in any way. Neither is my brother by his own blood/injuries.
Before I had children and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism I had a crazy fear of needles and blood. I too fainted at needles, blood, gorey things, the smell of poops and throwup. .
When I started my period I had been prepared by my mom as to what would happen. I didn't faint at the sight of the blood I fainted because my body couldn't adjust to the loss of it. I was very anemic as a teen and needed to be on iron pills for a while.
I still dont' give blood,though, that would put me under the table.
My pediatrician told me some kids react like this to pain, gross things, blood, standing too quickly, sitting too long, watching something mesmerising on tv, being too hot. I have two fainters, one actually had a seizure this fall. THey have a name for people who faint at the sight of blood, I can't remember now.
Let her know what will happen to her body and be prepared. And keep her well fed and watered.
I'm the same way, been like that since I was a kid. I feel light headed, start hearing ringing in my ears and sometimes even throw up at the sight of blood. When it comes to my period though, I have NEVER had a problem dealing with looking at that blood for some reason. Hopefully it won't be a problem for her either.
My mother fainted dead away or else threw up at the sight of blood. She couldn't handle it at ALL! I was always getting banged up and there were a few times she called my father to come home from work! She managed to handle her period though for 41 years until she had a hysterectomy, so I guess it's just different. Maybe the fact that it's expected and supposed to happen nullifies it. I remember waking up for school one morning and hearing my mother moaning and groaning in her bathroom. I asked what was wrong and my Dad told me to leave her alone -that she had cut her thumb pretty badly with a knife and was curled up by the toilet moaning. She didn't know if she was going to faint or puke!
