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Very often people are afraid of things that can not really hurt them. These are called phobias. A phobia is more of an anxiety disorder. It is an extreme or irrational fear of something. The affected person would go to great lengths to avoid that particular object or situation.

Let us have a look at some real fears or phobias that people have.

1. Fear of dentists. This is called odontophobia. Some people are so afraid of dentists that it takes years before they build up the courage to go to a dentist. (There must be something wrong with me because I love going to the dentist and it is the most exhilarating experience I have twice a year)

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2. Fear of spiders. Many people are afraid of spiders. A condition called Arachnophobia. This is the most common phobia worldwide.

Just think about a fear for a spider, what could a small spider actually do to you as a human being? You are more than a thousand times bigger than that little eight legged monster, but some people nearly have a panic attack if they see a spider.

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3. Fear of clowns. This is called Coulrophobia. This symptoms can include nausea, crying, screaming or even anger when placed in a situation where a clown is present.

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4. Fear of snakes. Ophidiophobia or ophiophobia is an abnormal fear of snakes. Herpetophobia is a fear of reptiles or amphibians.

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I have a severe case of Misophonia- this is a severe hatred of certain sounds. I can not stand people chewing loudly and I despise ice with a passion.

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What happens to your body when you are afraid of something?

The body has it's own protective mechanism called the fight or flight response. This is a type of acute stress response. It is an automatic response when someone is frightened or if there is a threat to survival. Some call it an adrenaline rush.

Adrenaline is a stress hormone secreted from the adrenal glands on the kidneys. This hormone plays an intense role in preparing the body for the fight or flight response. The brain communicates directly with the adrenal glands. An adrenaline rush need not be triggered by an actual life threatening experience but could be triggered by an imagined threat like the fear of clowns/dentists/ spiders or snakes.

An adrenaline rush can also be triggered by exercise, chronic stress as well as heart-failure, anxiety or even a brain disorder or defective adrenal glands.

Could someone be scared to death?

Yes, the possibility that someone could be scared to death is very real. When a person has an adrenaline rush, it causes a rapid heart rate, increased blood flow to the muscles and dilated pupils. These increased levels of adrenaline can damage the heart.

To be more specific, when adrenaline is released it triggers the calcium channels in the heart to open and the calcium keeps on pouring in. The heart muscles can not relax. A person can then develop an arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation.

Ventricular fibrillation is a heart rhythm problem that occurs when the heart beats with rapid, erratic electrical impulses. This causes pumping chambers in your heart (the ventricles) to quiver uselessly, instead of pumping blood.

High levels of adrenaline can lead to death. The fight or flight reaction could cause heart attacks. High levels of adrenaline can be triggered by loud sounds and even during sexual intercourse.

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