Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Prelude to Fainting?

DS has said, in his on-the-verge voice, that his hands become weak and his legs "get skinny" whenever we talk at any length about blood. Blood can be brought up by him in a question and he still has difficulty managing his physical response during the conversation. I'm wondering if it's something he may outgrow or if it's just in his make-up and will be something he will need to manage in school so as not to faint during anatomy discussions!

My husband and his brother both tend to either feel faint or outright faint if they have to undergo things such as eye drops added at an optometrist. So could this be hereditary?

I feel bad for my son because I can see him struggling with whether he wants to hear the answer to a question because he knows it will involve a discussion of blood.

Sounds exactly like my DD, who does faint (helping dress the Thanksgiving turkey, school field trip to "hospital-land," etc.). We also had a lot of trouble with eye drops and vaccinations. The word blood or hearing about anything related to the circulatory system were extremely difficult for her. She also has an aunt with similar issues.

It's actually fairly common. I did let her teachers know, and they were all very understanding, some letting her be excused for the class, some offering alternate material, etc.

Over time, the problem has eased somewhat; she is still bothered by the topics, but the words (and vaccines/eye drops) are not an issue any more. She enjoyed middle school health and biology without problems. She can usually control her response, and is tuned in to the pre-syncopal feelings so she can prevent outright fainting- she's gone a few years now without an event, so there is hope, though I doubt DD will ever choose to study medicine😊.

How old is your DD, cricket? I would be very worried about the onset of menstruation with a girl who faints at the mention of blood!

So were we, but she's conquered that one, surprisingly smoothly. She also recently helped her dad dress and skin some of our roosters, so though I would still consider her sensitive, I think she has learned how to manage.

I've told DS that if he is to become a doctor (he says he wants to be a surgeon!), he will encounter discussions about blood, etc.

I fully plan to tell his teachers he is prone to this.

My husband has absolutely no squeamishness with regards to menses. But perhaps that is because it's not happening to him! It seems as if the problem comes when the subject is the recipient of the procedure/incident/topic of discussion, etc. I think this because DH was a volunteer firefighter for over 20 years and has described picking up severed fingers from the roadway with absolute matter-of-fact attitude.