Pain what is it?
Article by John Dewey
Dear, RederBeing an informed consumer can help you to prevent errors, With your Medication.Health ConditionsPain :IntroductionYour body hurts. Whether your pain is throbbing or nagging, sharp or dull, you would like to ignore it. But pain demands your attention. Pain is the warning light on the dashboard of your body. It signals you to stop what you’re doing and find out what’s going on.What is it?Pain is an unpleasant experience primarily associated with some kind of tissue damage. Pain is your body’s way of warning your brain that something might be wrong.
There are two types of pain:
* Acute – This type of pain is usually immediate and lasts less than two weeks. Acute pain is a normal response to an injury but, if untreated, can cause significant emotional or physical problems. * Chronic – This is the type of pain that persists over the long term, usually for more than three months. The cause of chronic pain may not be evident but could be a sign of a serious illness that needs professional treatment. Chronic pain may be continuous, as with cancer-related pain, or intermittent. An example of intermittent pain is ulcer pain that is relieved or made worse by eating. Chronic pain is an abnormal state and should be evaluated by a doctor. No one should have to live with constant pain. Get the answers you need in our Drug Library.
What causes it?Nerve cells located in and beneath your skin sense heat, cold, touch, pressure, and pain. When your body is injured, or if pressure is applied to your body’s nerves, these tiny cells send messages into your spinal cord and up to your brain. Your brain then interprets these signals as pain. Sometimes the brain perceives pain even when there is no detectable injury or pressure on the body’s nerves. In other cases, the nerves themselves may become damaged or diseased and cause pain. This is called neuropathic pain, and the pain is often described as shooting or aching. When nerves are damaged, pain may be experienced even when there is no clear cause. use our Drug interaction Checker.Who has it?The National Center for Health Statistic?s 2006 report on pain indicated that approximately 76.2 million Americans (or 25%) suffer from pain. Pain is a more common condition than diabetes, cancer, and heart disease combined, making it one of the most costly health problems in America. Estimated annual costs are close to 0 billion a year. These costs include direct medical expenses, lost income, lost productivity, compensation payments, and legal charges.
Here is more evidence about the prevalence of pain:
* Women are slightly more likely to report pain than men (27.1% vs 24.4%). * Those with lower incomes are more likely to report pain than those with higher incomes. * Non-hispanic whites are more likely to report pain than other ethnicities (27.8% vs 15.3% Hispanics and 22.1% African Americans). * 26 million Americans report frequent back pain, making it the most common type of pain.
# More than 40 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis pain, and many have chronic pain that limits daily activity. Osteoarthritis affects 15 to 20 million Americans and is by far the most common form of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most crippling form of the disease and affects 8 to 10 million Americans.# ? An estimated 60 to 80 million Americans experience pain in the form of recurring headaches. For at least half of these people, the problem is severe and sometimes disabling. Back pain, headaches, and arthritis are just three health conditions that commonly cause pain. Numerous other health conditions such as cancer, sickle cell disease, shingles, and stomach or intestinal conditions cause millions of patients to experience acute and chronic pain.
What are the symptoms?
In addition to its physical sensation, pain can affect you in many ways. For example, when pain is not properly relieved, you may experience:
* Fear * Depression * Limitations in day-to-day activities * Trouble sleeping
Pain may cause differing sensations. It can many times be described as:
* Sharp * Shooting * Stabbing * Aching * Burning * Needle prickling or numbness/tingling * Throbbing * Cramping * Constricting or squeezing sensation * Feeling of pressure
Pain is also felt in varying degrees. Typically, your doctor will ask you to describe your pain and rate it on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being very little pain and 10 representing the worst pain possible.
Visit our Cautionary Drugs section to learn more about medications that may be poor choices for seniors. Use our Pill Images to check the color, shape, and size and be sure you got the right medication. Make a personal Emergency Contact and Medication Member Newsletter Subcribe so important information is easy to find in an emergency.Sincerely,John Dewey1-305-396-0986jonhdewey@pharmacyhealthcareexpress.comTo Your Success:www.pharmacyhealthcareexpress.comwww.pharmacyhealthcareexpress.e-trusted.com
About the Author
johndewey@pharamcyhealthcareexpress.com
