Hemophobia refers to an intense and ongoing fear of blood. Those who suffer from this widespread phobia are terrified at the sight of their own blood, or that of other people or animals. Sometimes, even viewing images of blood or merely thinking about it can trigger fear. Blood often serves as a reminder of one's susceptibility to injury and the inevitability of death.Individuals with hemophobia may react in different ways. Some experience a typical phobic response, with elevated blood pressure and heart rate. Others have the opposite reaction, with decreased blood pressure and heart rate, leading to paleness and weakness, and sometimes even fainting. This latter response can lead to an additional fear of fainting itself.Throughout history, literature has done little to alleviate the fear of blood. In Homer's "Iliad," blood flows freely as Achilles exacts revenge on the Trojans. In Shakespeare's "Macbeth," blood symbolizes guilt for Lady Macbeth, who obsessively washes her hands to remove both real and imagined bloodstains. In Bram Stoker's "Dracula," blood serves as sustenance for a vampire.The term "hemophobia" comes from the Greek words "haima," meaning blood, and "phobos," meaning fear. Other English words with roots in "haima" include "hemodialysis" (a process that cleanses the blood), "hemoglobin" (a blood protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body), and "hemorrhage" (significant blood loss). An alternative term for hemophobia is blood phobia.
