Why does the victims of Hydrophobia fear water?

Question

Why does the victims of Hydrophobia fear water? What actually happens? What causes the fear?

Answer 1

In advanced stages of rabies (hydrophobia) the throat swells to the point where you can't swallow. It was observed that people bitten by rabid animals didn't drink anything, so the mis-naming of the disease created the "myth" that hydrophobics were afraid of water.

Answer 2

Well it would logically be fear of drowning, no? Which is from all accounts a particularly unpleasant way to die.

I know there are people who are actually allergic to water, even water droplets though I find this strange since the human body contains, and requires so much water.

This clears it up and its kind of what I'd have guessed:

2nd example from Wikipedia:

"a phobia towards water, i.e., a morbid fear of water, or of swimming. It usually occurs in mild cases involving fear of deep water, and not as a general fear of the substance water. Aquaphobia is the more correct term, though "hydrophobia" has started to enter common use as a term for this phobia."

Answer 3

Rabies in cats is very uncommon. Very. And kittens have basically no immune system, so it's hard to imagine a kitten surviving all this time with rabies. In my county, if an animal bites someone and hasn't had a vaccination, then they quarantine it for ten days. So if your kitten has been fine, then I'm sure you're fine. Except for some off-the-charts anxiety, that is. A lot of people fear rabies, though, so you're not alone. People who grow up with kittens scratching and biting them are lucky because they continually survive the experience, and they don't have the fear that other people do. If you searched this site for "rabies" in resolved questions, there would probably be a million questions like yours. I think you should ask your mom to take you to the doctor, but for your anxiety, not because I think it's even remotely likely that you have rabies. Good luck to you. I hope you'll be feeling calmer soon.

Answer 4

Well....like any other phobia, it could be innate (you're born with it) or it could be the result of some traumatic incident in your life that has burned into your psychological make-up. In the case of the phobia you mention, it could have a physical cause......namely rabies.

Answer 5

It wouldn't be called hydrophobia if they weren't afraid of it.