There's a fair chance that you have gotten a shot at least once in your life. Even though doctors always tell you to look away while the needle is piercing your skin, you cannot help but ignore their advice, which makes the whole experience even more painful. However, if you follow these simple steps, you can finally put a stop to that pain that makes everyone so traumatized.

How to Make Shots Not Hurt

1. Massage the Skin Around the Injection Site and Apply Some Pressure to It

Before you actually get an injection, it is best you massage the skin around the area that is going to get punctured, and apply some pressure to it. This will help your body get ready to withstand the shock of the needle going through your skin, and therefore, make the shot less hurt.

2. Relax as Much as Possible While in the Waiting Room

When in the waiting room to wait for your appointment, you can use this time to relax. Distract yourself from what's about to happen by putting your headphones in and listening to music. Reading can also provide a good escape from the real world, so before you leave the house, remember to pack your favorite book, or pick up some magazines on the way to the doctor.

3. Let a Nurse Help You with Your Fear

Talk to your nurse about any fears that you might have prior to getting a shot.

• The nurse can help you not feel a thing by treating the injection site with a local anesthetic cream. However, it is important you ask her about this before the appointment, since this cream can take up to an hour to start working effectively.
• There are some methods of relaxation that your nurse should tell you to help you get over your fear of needles.

4. Don't Pay Attention to the Injection Site

How to make shots not hurt? Well, by diverting your attention from the needle, and focusing it on somewhere else.

• Try to imagine watching the sun go down at a place of your dreams.
• Imagining pain in another area will distract you from an actual pain, so making yourself think that you are getting a shot someplace else might be a good idea.
• Focus on reciting the lyrics of your favorite song.
• Engaging in a conversation with a doctor, a nurse, or the person you are accompanied with will definitely provide you with enough distraction.

5. Avoid Looking at the Needlek

As mentioned before, looking at the needle while it is piercing the skin just makes the whole experience more traumatizing. So perhaps you should start listening to medical professionals when they say that it is best to look away or close your eyes while they are doing their job.

6. Stop Breathing

Stop breathing a couple of seconds before receiving the injection and during its administration. What this does is helping your blood pressure increase, which reduces the sensitivity of your nervous system. 

7. Relax Your Muscles

How to make shots not hurt? Relaxing your muscles during an injection is one of the ways. Even though it is in human nature to be tense while we are nervous, some techniques can help you loosen up.

• Inhale deeply, hold your breath for 10 seconds, and exhale finally.
• Do not fool yourself into thinking that this won't hurt, but rather accept the fact that you are getting an injection. By this way you can stop your body from tensing up, thus minimizing the pain during the process.

Warnings:

In case the injection site hurts for more than 48 hours, or if you develop a fever, experience any tremors or dizziness, you must visit your health care professional as you could be experiencing counter-reaction that requires immediate medical assistance.

How to Care for the Injection Site

How to make shots not hurt? You already know the answer. Here are some tips for you to care for the injection site.

1. Relieve the Pain

The injection site could hurt for hours and even days after receiving the injection. In this case, to lessen the pain, you just have to put a warm towel on the injection site.

2. Massage the Area

It helps distribute the injected medication and calm your muscles. However, if you've been injected with Heparin or Lovenox, avoid the massage as it can cause bruising.

3. Take Painkillers

In case post-injection ache and inflammation are too hard to endure, you can opt for anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen for relief.

4. Keep Moving

Keeping the injection site moving will increase your blood circulation, and therefore speed up your recovery.