Is this a normal fear of spiders or is this a medical disaster?

My boyfriend has a severe fear of spiders. I have been researching the topic for a while and I have only found that the symptoms of the fear is sweating, clammy palms, and speedy heart rate. My boyfriend, however, gets violent shakes just by seeing the image of a spider. He was touch by a fake spider and was in an almost seizure-like state. Is this typical or is this more than a phobia? Could this be a medical situation? Please help!