What is the fear of water called?

Appeared in: CGHS SSC - 2018

Explanation

The term 'Hydrophobia' is derived from Greek, where 'hydro' means water and 'phobos' means fear.
It correctly identifies a specific fear of water.
In a clinical context, hydrophobia is a hallmark symptom of advanced rabies, where the patient experiences painful throat spasms when attempting to drink, leading to a severe aversion to water.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces, crowds, or situations from which escape might be difficult, not the fear of water.
Option B: Claustrophobia is the fear of enclosed or tight spaces, such as elevators or small rooms, not the fear of water.
Option D: Thanatophobia is the fear of death or the process of dying, which is unrelated to the fear of water.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Medical Terminology and Phobias as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Recognizing hydrophobia is critical for nurses as it is a pathognomonic sign of late-stage rabies, a medical emergency with an extremely high fatality rate once symptoms appear.
A nurse encountering a patient with an unexplained aversion to drinking, especially after an animal bite, must immediately escalate care and implement infection control protocols.
What if? If a patient reported fear of the ocean but could drink water without issue, the more precise term would be 'Thalassophobia' (fear of the sea/large bodies of water), which is a psychological phobia, unlike the physical reaction seen in rabies-induced hydrophobia.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question based on medical terminology.
Analyze the word parts (etymology). 'Hydro' is a common prefix related to water (e.g., hydration, hydrolysis). 'Phobia' is the suffix for fear.
Combine the word parts: 'Hydro' + 'phobia' = fear of water.
Review the other options to confirm they represent different, distinct fears, reinforcing the correctness of your choice.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Medical Terminology and Phobias
Stem keywords: fear of water
Lead-in keywords: What is

Question ID

Qf9BKIidQQdJIv_Pr_Hnuv

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 3869-3872

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