Are you afraid of flu shot pain? I’ll tell you how to prevent flu shot pain when you get the flu shot or any injection.

A lot of people are afraid of needles when they have to get a flu shot, allergy shot or other injection.  Fear of getting a shot or fear of needle pain may cause some people to unnecessarily avoid getting the flu shot or the H1N1 swine flu shot, when the flu shot can easily be given pain free.

The fear comes from associating pain with the needle after previously experiencing pain from an injection.  It would seem to make sense. Since the needle looks sharp and sinister and is used to puncture the skin like a knife, it’s natural to assume that the needle is what causes pain.

However, it’s not the needle that causes the pain. In fact, the needle is so thin that you can barely feel it. So, if it’s not the needle, what causes the pain?

After thinking about exactly what it is that causes the pain, the solution is obvious. Interestingly, nurses are usually much better at giving an injection, than a doctor is. The reason for this provides the solution to a pain-free shot. Doctors are always in a rush, while nurses take more time. Also, some of the blame can be placed on patients who want to get their shot quickly because of their fear.

What happens when you rush an injection? The plunger is pushed much too quickly causing the fluid in the syringe to be forced through the needle and into the body tissue with explosive force. In fact, while a narrower needle will cause less pain, it will cause higher pressure when the fluid is forced through the needle quickly. Under high pressure, the force of the fluid rushing into your body ruptures cells and causes pain.

The answer to a pain-free injection is now obvious. When I get an injection, I tell my doctor that before I get the shot, I have a request. I then tell the doctor that I would like him to push the plunger on the syringe very, very slowly. While doctors have asked me why, no doctor has ever refused. You may have to put up with having the needle in your arm a little longer, but it’s not the needle that causes the pain.

This also works with Novocain injections at the dentist. The result is that I always get a pain-free shot.

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