A fear of blood clots or embolism can affect everyday situations involving blood clot, sudden collapse, DVT and stroke fear. It may lead to monitoring symptoms, checking the body, searching for reassurance, repeatedly seeking medical certainty, or avoiding reminders of illness.

Possible triggers

Reading about blood clots, hearing someone describe an embolism or discussing a clot-related health concern.

Name origin

From Greek embolos (plug or stopper) and -phobia.

A fear of bodily sensations or the body itself can affect everyday situations involving bodily sensation, physical symptom, body change and internal sensation. It may lead to monitoring sensations or bodily changes, avoiding particular situations, seeking reassurance, or organising routines around preventing the feared outcome.

Possible triggers

Paying close attention to bodily sensations, looking at your body or encountering a discussion of bodily processes.

Name origin

From Greek sōma (body) and -phobia.

A fear of body odour can affect work, travel, exercise, close conversation and social situations. It may lead to repeated washing, changing clothes, checking how you smell, seeking reassurance or keeping distance from others because you worry they may notice an odour.

Possible triggers

Standing close to others, noticing perspiration or worrying that your body has an odour others can detect.

Name origin

From Greek auto (self) and dysosmia (bad smell) with -phobia.

A fear of body smell can affect exercise, work, public transport, close conversation and social events. It may lead to repeated washing, checking, changing clothes, using excessive fragrance or avoiding closeness because of concern about how you might smell.

Possible triggers

Sharing a confined space with others, noticing a bodily smell or anticipating perspiration during an activity.

Name origin

From Greek bromos (stink) and -phobia.

Also known as

Bromidrophobia

A fear of breasts can affect everyday situations involving female chest, breast imagery, chest exposure and breasts. It may lead to self-monitoring, avoiding mirrors, photographs, grooming or close contact, seeking reassurance, or changing social plans because of appearance-related fear.

Possible triggers

Seeing breasts in an image, discussing a breast examination or anticipating exposure of the chest.

Name origin

From Greek mastos (breast) and -phobia.

A fear of cancer can affect everyday situations involving scan results, tumour, biopsy and lump. It may lead to monitoring symptoms, checking the body, searching for reassurance, repeatedly seeking medical certainty, or avoiding reminders of illness.

Possible triggers

Hearing a cancer diagnosis discussed, reading cancer-related news or anticipating screening results.

Name origin

From Greek karkinos (crab, referring to cancer) and -phobia.

Also known as

Cancerophobia, Cancerphobia, Carcinomatophobia

A fear of chemicals can affect everyday situations involving cleaning products, toxic fumes, bleach and chemicals. It may lead to monitoring sensations or bodily changes, avoiding particular situations, seeking reassurance, or organising routines around preventing the feared outcome.

Possible triggers

Reading a product's ingredient label, handling a cleaning product or hearing about chemical exposure.

Name origin

From Greek khemeia (chemistry) and -phobia.

This uncommon descriptive name refers to fear focused on chins. It does not by itself describe dissatisfaction with someone's appearance.

Possible triggers

A close-up photograph of a chin, a face seen from below, or attention being drawn to the lower part of a face.

Possible name origin

Genio comes from Greek geneion, meaning chin or beard. Phobia derives from Greek phobos, meaning fear.

A fear of choking or suffocation can affect everyday situations involving food stuck in throat, suffocating, feeling unable to breathe and gagging. It may lead to restricting foods, eating very cautiously, checking sensations while swallowing, avoiding meals or relying on a narrow set of familiar choices.

Possible triggers

Eating something you associate with choking or imagining being unable to breathe in a confined situation.

Name origin

From Greek anchone (strangling) and -phobia.

Also known as

Pnigophobia, Pnigerophobia

A fear of constipation can affect everyday situations involving bowel blockage, toilet anxiety, difficulty opening your bowels and constipation. It may lead to monitoring sensations or bodily changes, avoiding particular situations, seeking reassurance, or organising routines around preventing the feared outcome.

Possible triggers

Noticing a change in bowel routine, anticipating difficulty passing stools or reading about constipation.

Name origin

From Greek kopros (dung) and -phobia.