Diabetics more fearful of needles than anything else: Survey

ISLAMABAD, December 16: People in Pakistan are more fearful of having to endure daily injections than they are of spiders, flying, public speaking, exams or clowns, according to a recent nationwide survey. Asked to rank ten things people are commonly afraid of, respondents listed having injections in fifth place behind a fear of snakes, sharks, heights and lighting.
The survey also revealed that overone-third of respondents said they would rather skydive from a plane if it meant being able to avoid needles every day, with over a quarter saying they would rather handle a python. Unfortunately, while most people only have to brave the occasional needle throughout their lifetime it’s a different story for the 8 per cent of Pakistan’s residents living with diabetes, many of whom will be faced with having to inject themselves up to four times per day.
Professor Dr. Taeed Butt from Fatima Memorial Hospital said the survey results were not surprising and having to self-inject every day was an ordeal for many people with diabetes. “Taking injections before each meal can be a psychological and physical burden due to the associated pain. It’s quite common for children and adolescents to skip a dose of insulin because they can’t face another injection – and this can obviously have serious health consequences,” Dr. Taeed said.