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What is the worst pain
you can experience?
It is generally accepted that
kidney stones and childbirth
are the worst pains to be
encountered. However, of the
everyday pains we can encounter,
migraine is thought to be
the worst, with period pain
and backache following closely
behind.(1)
Is pain a
sign of weakness?
No. Everyone suffers pain
to some degree during their
life. It is your body's way
of telling you something is
wrong and trying to protect
you from further damage. It
is caused by tissue damage
or stress stimulating the
nerves, which send signals
to the brain.
Is pain hereditary?
Pain is a very personal and
individual experience. Whether
it is hereditary is an ongoing
debate but recent research
suggests that the threshold
at which the body responds
to pain may be inherited.
(2)
Other pain thought to be hereditary
is migraines, with the genetic
factor being responsible for
70% to 80% of suffering. (3)
Although not hereditary, cluster
headaches are found to affect
people with certain physical
traits, namely being male,
aged 20-40 years, tall, muscular,
a ragged facial appearance,
square jutting or dimpled
chin and hazel eyes! (4)
Cluster headaches are repeated
episodes of intense migraine
pain.
Can you feel
pain from internal organs?
Yes. What is interesting however
is that the pain from internal
organs can sometimes be referred
to another part of the body.
For example toothache is felt
in the ears, and a pain in
the upper left arm could indicate
a problem with your heart.
As with any pain, if it persists
should be checked by your
GP.
Does a happier
fitter person feel less pain?
Although pain needs a physical
stimulus to the nerves, pain
is partly psychological. Therefore
the extent to which pain is
felt can be affected by moods
and feelings. For example,
if we are tired, we tend to
feel pain more easily. In
contrast a study in Pittsburgh
(5) showed that people with
a varied and active social
life are less prone to catching
a cold and therefore feeling
the associated aches and pains.
Other studies have shown that
physical fitness may improve
pain tolerance.(6)
Which sex
feels more pain?
There is an ongoing debate
as to who suffers more pain.
At the American Association
of Advancement of Science
2000 meeting it was proposed
that women suffer more pain
and that men and women may
respond differently to pain,
with different pathways in
the brain being activated.
What is a
hangover?
A hangover is the result of
the body being unable to breakdown
all the alcohol in the blood
stream. As a result the liver,
which is responsible for removing
toxins from the body, breaks
down alcohol to a halfway
stage (ethanol). It is this
by-product that leaves us
with the typical headaches,
sickness and dehydration.
Can different
foods cause headaches?
Yes and one example is caffeine,
which stimulates the central
nervous system. In some people
this can help them function
more efficiently, in others
they may encounter a headache
as a result of too much caffeine.
Caffeine can be found in coffee,
tea, cola and chocolate.
Why are periods
painful?
Hormones released by the body
cause the uterine muscles
to contract resulting in "cramps".
The subsequent pain may be
spasmodic - a pain in the
lower back or congestive -
a dull ache prior to the period.
Pain Relief
Is it best
to ignore pain and just get
on with it?
No. Pain is your body's way
of telling you something is
wrong and trying to protect
you from further damage. You
need to identify the cause
of the pain and, where possible,
remove it. Once the cause
has been identified there
is no point in suffering pain.
In fact, using pain relief
can actually help prevent
the symptoms worsening (it
blocks the "vicious circle"(7)
effect from making the pain
worse - see What is pain?).
Can you distract
yourself from the pain - is
there such a thing as mind
over matter?
Pain is both a physical and
psychological phenomenon,
so to a limited extent you
can have an effect on the
amount of pain you can endure.
For example, a study in the
US found that thinking of
your favourite sexual fantasy
could increase your tolerance
towards pain. (8) However,
it is widely accepted that
if you fail to treat pain,
the intensity continues to
increase although the severity
of the cause may remain the
same (the vicious circle effect).
(7)
Do pain relievers
just hide the pain rather
than cure the symptom?
Pain relievers do relieve
the pain, but they can also
reduce fever (paracetamol,
aspirin and ibuprofen) and
decrease swelling and inflammation
(ibuprofen).
Are all pain
relievers the same?
No. There are three main active
ingredients used to relieve
pain
- Aspirin, which also helps
to reduce fever.
- Ibuprofen, which can help
reduce fever and reduce
inflammation and swelling
- Paracetamol, which also
helps to reduce fever
Choosing the
right product for the right
pain can make a big impact
on recovery. Children until
12 years should NOT be given
aspirin.
Can you mix
different types of pain relievers?
Yes, however, whenever taking
pain relievers read the label
and instructions carefully.
Doing so should inform you
as to the active ingredients,
enabling you to avoid taking
more than the stated dose
of any one type. If the pain
is so severe that one type
of pain reliever is insufficient
it is advisable to check with
a pharmacist, doctor or ring
NHS direct.
Are OTC (over
the counter) pain relievers
safe?
Yes, as long as you read the
labels, follow the instructions,
do not exceed the stated dose
and do not take the pain relievers
for extended periods of time
(e.g. more than a few days).
If you require stronger pain
relief or the pain is persistent
seek advice from a healthcare
professional.
Are pain relievers
addictive?
The pain relievers that are
available over the counter
are not addictive in the doses
recommended.
Can you become
so tolerant to pain relievers
that they no are longer effective?
If you use pain relievers
over an extended length of
time (longer than recommended
on the label), you may start
to build up a tolerance to
some of the active ingredients.
This however does not effect
your immune system in any
way.
Does the format
of the pain reliever affect
the strength? Are dissolvable
pain relievers weaker?
No. The strength of the product
is not affected by the format,
and each has its benefits.
Dissolvable pain relievers
are absorbed quickly into
the system, tablets are felt
by many to be more convenient
and some people prefer topical
treatments, i.e. those applied
directly to the skin e.g.
for sports injuries.
Can pain relievers
go off, like food?
All medicines have a use by
date on the packaging.
Can children
be given pain relief medicines?
Children under 12 should NOT
be given aspirin, but there
are many specially formulated
products for children from
3 months old. Whatever age,
please ensure that the correct
dosage is used and if in any
doubt contact a healthcare
professional.
Complementary
Therapies
Is relaxation
better than any pain reliever?
In some cases such as stress-related
headaches, relaxation can
help treat a headache. However,
most people will agree that
if stress is causing the headache
it is extremely difficult
to suddenly switch to "relaxation
mode". Many people find that
taking a bath can help as
the warm water can ease tightness
in muscles.
Does rubbing
a dock leaf onto a nettle
sting help alleviate the pain,
and are there any other plants
that can help to ease other
types of pain?
Yes rubbing a dock leaf onto
a nettle sting releases a
natural antihistamine, which
helps to relief the irritation.
However, merely rubbing the
site of the sting would also
help. There are other plants
that alleviate irritation
such as the oil from Evening
Primrose, which can be used
to treat eczema.
What other
techniques work to relieve
pain?
Very often headaches may be
caused by dehydration. In
such a situation, more water
needs to be consumed. Massage
can also help. Unfortunately
when a situation has developed
to the stage when there is
a clear constant pain, it
usually means that a pain
relief remedy is required
to prevent the pain becoming
worse.
References:
(1) The Oral Analgesics Market
Report 1996-1997
(2) JAMA Migraine Information
Centre
(3) www.headaches.org
(4) National Institute of
Neurological Disorders
(5) The Cold War, Malcolm
Newall, Rosendale Press 1996
(6) health-news.co.uk 10-03-2000
(7) E-mail correspondence
with Dr Chudler
(8) Daily Mail 01-02-2000
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