HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC OR ACUTE PAIN?

27 October 2021

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Normally, pain is your body’s way of informing you that something has happened or a part of your body is not functioning well. It can come in the form of acute or chronic pain. All types of pain are unwanted, uncomfortable and can even lead to other mental health problems. It can be mild to serious and can interfere with the quality of your life, including the ability to perform day-to-day functions at work and home.

There are various pain management options to address pain, but it depends on the type of pain you are experiencing. The difference between acute and chronic pain is that acute pain has a specific treatable cause, while chronic pain is not easily diagnosed as an underlying invincible root problem causes it. Let’s look at the two types of pain in detail. Chronic pain can last longer for more than three months, even when the injury or illness has been treated.

Acute pain

Acute pain comes suddenly, and a specific cause mainly causes it. For instance, you can experience acute pain when you cut your finger until the finger gets healed. Many people believe that acute pain is mild and temporary, but it can be very complex in some cases.

It can be caused by broken bones, cuts, burns, labor, surgery, dental procedures, or childbirth. But it goes away once the injury on the affected area has been treated. Some types of acute pain are temporary, but at other times it can be severe and have a longer-lasting impact on your health.

Treatment options for acute pain treat the cause of pain. The doctor might conduct blood tests and imaging to diagnose the pain. That helps them understand the pain levels and know how to treat them. When the cause of the pain is apparent such as a cut or burn, prescription medications are used to manage the pain until the injury is healed. When acute pain is healed, you can go on with your daily life as usual.

Chronic pain

Chronic pain remains for more than three to six months. It affects one in every five people and can be challenging to diagnose. In most cases, many people suffer from misdiagnosis of chronic pain. Chronic pain is most often caused by a serious underlying issue, something a surgery cannot address. So the patient goes through different pain management treatment options to address it.

Common types of chronic pain include nerve pain, cancer, migraines, back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, etc. This type of pain can stay even after illness or injury because even after treatment, the pain signals stay in the nervous system for weeks, months, and even years. Some people suffer from chronic pain when there is no past injury or illnesses linked to body damage. Chronic pain can also lead to other mental health problems such as fear, anxiety, frustration, anger, and depression. As such, treatment options for chronic pain vary from one patient to another.