Nosophobia

Nosophobia or Hypochondriasis is an irrational fear of illnesses. The fear may arise from having a traumatic experience with illnesses, whether they are life-threatening or not, when the phobic was young. A person suffering from Nosophobia is known as a Hypochondriac.

Nobody likes to fall ill, but Hypochondriacs fear it all day long such that they experience physiological discomfort such as hyperventilation, nausea, trembling, panic attacks, among other symptoms. These symptoms arising from the phobia may freak the Hypochondriac even more, as they resemble symptoms of real illnesses such as heart disease. It then becomes a vicious cycle.

Hypochondriasis often coexist with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD. This makes the sufferer worry a lot about his or her own health, as well as loved ones. They may also pop many Vitamin C tablets a day or eat foods that they deem healthy for fear of deadly illnesses.