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How to overcome a fear of needles

Approved by our Clinical team | Mar 25, 2021

We’ve put together our guide on how to overcome your fear of needles, so you can get your COVID-19 vaccine and/or flu jab this year.

Why am I scared of needles?

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For many a fear of needles, or needle phobia (trypanophobia), comes from having had a lot of procedures with needles at a young age. For others it is caused by the thought of a needle entering your skin or the discomfort or pain associated with needle related procedures.

Symptoms of a needle phobia:

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The following physical symptoms may be experienced by those with a fear of needles.

Feeling faint (light-headed or dizzy)
Fainting
A dry mouth
Increased heart rate
Sweating
Shaking
Over-breathing
Nausea

Having a fear of needles is nothing to be ashamed of and there are some simple things that you can do to help overcome it.

Overcoming your fear of needles

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Firstly, remember that vaccines administered by needles are good for you and have proven long-term health benefits:

They can save lives: vaccines protect against dangerous, potentially life-threatening infectious diseases.
They are very safe and effective: each vaccine is rigorously tested before being made available to the general public. They continue to be tested after they’ve been introduced to identify any side effects.
They protect others you care about: vaccines stop you from becoming ill, which prevents you from passing diseases onto those around you (especially those that may be more susceptible to complications, like young children, the elderly, or those that are already ill).

How to prepare for an injection if you're scared of needles

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There are a number of techniques you can try to help overcome your fear of needles.

Before your appointment

Try not to worry before your appointment. Keep yourself busy to prevent anxiety building. If you are worried about fainting, then practice an applied tension technique which helps your blood pressure get back to normal. Try and do this 3 times a day for up to a week before your appointment:

Choose somewhere comfortable to sit.
Tense the muscles in your arms, upper body and legs for 15 seconds.
Release the tension and sit comfortably again.
After 20-30 seconds tense your muscles again.
Repeat this 5 times.

If you are worried about feeling panicky (heart rate increases, breathing speeds up, sweating), then try practicing a calming breathing technique. Try and do this 3 times a day for up to a week before your appointment:

Sit up straight in a comfortable position and let your shoulders and jaw relax. Put one hand low on your stomach.
Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe as deeply as feels comfortable.
Do this for five breaths.

You could use a numbing cream like Emla to ease the pain from the needle. This type of cream with temporarily numb the skin and stop pain. Typically, you need to apply 60 minutes before the vaccine as it takes around one hour for Emla to numb the skin.

During your appointment

Chat: let the person who is giving you the jab know if you have concerns – there is nothing to be embarrassed about. They can help you to relax and distract you with conversation.
Relax: this will release tension in your muscles. Tense muscles may make injections more painful.
Breathe: deep, steady breathing can help you relax and give you something to focus on.
Distract: don’t look at the needle if it scares you. Bring a book or a magazine or look at favourite photos/videos on your phone.
Count: count slowly – this will help to distract you and, chances are, by the time you reach 10 the jab will be over.