The applied tension technique. For people
who faint at the sight of blood or needles.
Most people feel a bit uneasy when they see
blood or have to get a needle. However, for
some people, seeing blood or needles causes
them to faint, or to feel like they will faint.
It is very rare to actually faint from anxiety
unless you have this problem. If you tend
to faint when you get an injection, or have
blood drawn, you can benefit from learning
a simple technique that will help you to prevent
fainting, or speed up the recovery time if
you do faint. So, why do some people faint
at the sight of blood, or a needle? Fainting
is caused by a sudden drop in your heart rate
or blood pressure. When we're anxious, our
heart rate and blood pressure actually go
up. This is why it's so rare to faint when
you're feeling anxious. However some people
with a fear of blood or needles experience
an initial increase, and then a sudden drop
in their blood pressure, which can result
in fainting. This drop in blood pressure is
called the vasovagal response. And only a
small minority of people have this response
to the sight of blood or needles. The good
news is, if you have this problem, there is
a way to prevent it and keep yourself from
fainting. In most cases, fainting is harmless.
The sudden drop in blood pressure that results
from the vasovagal response is not dangerous
or life threatening. However it is important
that you discuss your fainting with a doctor
before using this technique or exposing yourself
to situations such as needles or blood that
could cause fainting. The technique itself
is call the Applied Tension Technique. It's
a strategy developed to help prevent fainting,
or help people recover faster if they do faint.
the technique involves tensing the muscles
in your body, which then raises your blood
pressure. If your blood pressure increases,
you are less likely to faint. To do this,
sit in a comfortable chair, and tense the
muscles in your arms, legs, and trunk. For
about 10-15 seconds. You should hold the tension
until you start to feel a warm sensation in
your head. Then, relax your body for 20-30
seconds, and repeat 5 times. And a quick tip
here: when you relax your muscles after tensing
them, the goal is not to become completely
relaxed, as this will cause your blood pressure
to drop. Rather, the goal is to let your body
return to a normal state, i.e. not overly
tense or completely relaxed. It's really important
that you practice this strategy several times
a day for at least a week. And after you've
done that, you can start using this strategy
when using exposure exercises to blood and
needles. A few final points: Of course if
you actually tense your arm when you're receiving
a needle, it can be more painful. So when
getting an injection, or having some blood
drawn, try to relax the arm that will be receiving
the needle, while tensing the other parts
of your body. However, since this can be difficult
to do, it's important to practice before going
to get a needle. Alternatively, you can use
the tension technique before and after getting
a needle, but try to release the tension in
your body when you actually get the needle.
If you develop a headache when trying the
Applied Tension Technique, try to reduce the
level of tension, or the frequency of practice
sessions. And it can be helpful to learn to
recognise the early signs of your blood pressure
dropping, such as feelings of lightheadedness.
Try to use the tension technique as soon as
you start to experience these sensations.
Even though the strategy sounds simple, it
takes practice to be helpful. Good luck!
