TOLEDO, Ohio — Trypanophobia, also known as a fear of needles, affects nearly 50 million Americans, according to Pharma Jet.
With booster shots and COVID-19 vaccines for the young, there's a solution to your fear of needles that was developed in Maumee: a simple piece of plastic called the ShotBlocker.
Dr. James Huttner with Maumee-based company Bionix said the process is extremely simple.
"Place this [ShotBlocker] on the patient's skin where you're going to give the injection, press down, give the injection and then take it off," Huttner explained. "It's just that simple and just that fast."
Thanks to little spikes on the ShotBlocker, they help take away the pain from the needle; something Huttner said works about 75 to 80% of the time.
Huttner explained the ShotBlocker utilizes the Gate Theory of Pain.
"There's a pain gate that the nerve impulse and the pain impulses go through," he said, "and they're overwhelmed by the sensory impulses, so no pain gets through to the brain."
Pediatricians all across the country use the ShotBlocker. Huttner said it gives little kids peace of mind when getting a shot.
"And then when that got their shot, they're smiling the whole time, they don't feel the pain," he explained. "And the next time they come in, it's a lot different response. So, the parents love it. We have kids who refuse to get their vaccines without the ShotBlocker."
If you're a parent planning on having your little ones get the COVID-19 vaccine now that it's available to kids, you can buy the ShotBlocker yourself over the counter or through Amazon.