Nosophobia

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Nosophobia is a specific phobia, an irrational fear of having a disease, from greek "nosos" for "disease" (as the 1913 Webster's Dictionary put it, "morbid dread of a disease"). Primary fears are of this kind are fear of contracting pulmonary tuberculosis, venereal diseases, cancer, and heart diseases.

Some authors suggested that the medical students' disease must be referred to as nosophobia ^[1] rather than "hypochondriasis", because the quoted studies show a very low percentage of hypochondriacal character of the condition.

[edit] References

1. ^ Hunter R.C.A, Lohrenz J.G., Schwartzman A.E. "Nosophobia and hypochondriasis in medical students". J Nerv Ment Dis 1964;130:147-52. PMID 14206454