Pain Symptoms and effects of pain
The effects of pain could be either
physical or psychological.
The physical effects of pain are:
-
Poor wound healing, weakness and
muscle breakdown
-
Decreased movement of the affected body parts
resulting in an increased risk of blood clots in the
veins (thromboembolism) and in the lungs
(pulmonary embolism)
-
Shallow breathing and cough
suppression which can increase the risk of pneumonia
-
Increased sodium and water retention
by the kidneys
-
Decreased gastrointestinal motility
-
Increased heart rate
-
Increased blood pressure
-
Weakening of the body’s immune system
causing decreased natural killer cell counts
-
Sleeplessness
-
Loss of appetite
-
Loss of weight
-
Fatigue
The psychological effects of pain
are:
-
Anxiety
-
Depression
-
Fear
-
Stress
-
Loss of enjoyment of life
-
Difficulty relating to other people
-
Increased marital conflict
-
Reduced sexual desire
-
Anger
-
Resentment
PAIN SYMPTOMS – why is it troublesome?
Suffering from acute or chronic pain is not in the
best of anyone’s interest because the symptoms of
pain, physical or psychological, interfere with the
individual’s health in many ways. Some of the
symptoms and adverse effects of pain are:
Restriction of movement of the
involved area resulting in stasis of blood and
muscular weakness. For example, with leg injury it
can lead to deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary
embolism, which carry high morbidity and mortality.
-
Delayed wound healing
-
Chest pain of any cause can limit
breathing and coughing resulting in pneumonia
-
Increased blood pressure
-
Increased heart rate, adding to its
workload
-
Loss of appetite and sleep
-
Renal and GI tract dysfunctions
-
Anxiety
-
Depression
-
Marital disharmony
-
Feeling of worthlessness
-
Personality changes
-
Decreased libido
Pain
characteristics:
The different types of pain have
diverse descriptions.
-
Somatic nociceptive pain- aching,
squeezing, throbbing and stabbing
-
Visceral nociceptive pain due to
obstruction – Cramping and gnawing
-
Visceral nociceptive pain due to
stretching of the covering of the organ- sharp,
stabbing or throbbing
-
Neuropathic or nerve pain –severe,
sharp, lancinating, lightning-like, stabbing,
burning pain, cold, tingling, pins and needles,
numbness or weakness
-
Anginal pain – oppressive or
tightening
-
The phantom limb pain - squeezing,
burning, or crushing
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