Pain
Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine
What is pain? Pain is a signal in your nervous system that something may be wrong. It is an unpleasant feeling, such as a prick, tingle, sting, burn, or ache. Each person feels pain differently, even if the reason for the pain is the same. Pain may be sharp or dull. It may be mild or severe. Pain may come and go, or it may be constant. You may feel pain in one area of your body, such as your back , abdomen , chest , or pelvis , or you may feel it all over. Pain can help alert you that there is a problem. If you never felt pain, you might seriously hurt yourself without knowing it, or you might not realize you have a medical problem that needs treatment. Finding out what's causing your pain will help your health care provider determine the best way to manage or treat it. What are the types of pain? Patterns and types of pain are named based on how long and how often you have pain. These include: Acute pain usually happens suddenly because of a disease, injury, or inflammation (irritation, redness, and/or swelling). This type of pain is often sharp and acts as a warning that something is wrong. It usually goes away when the cause is treated or healed, though sometimes it can turn into chronic pain . Some examples of causes of acute pain include broken bones or dental issues . Chronic pain lasts for longer than three months or the time in which you should have healed. It can affect all aspects of daily life, including your mood and relationships. Some conditions that might cause chronic pain include arthritis or back problems. Episodic pain can happen from time to time and may occur with long-term medical conditions. Some conditions that might cause episodic pain include sickle cell disease or chronic migraines . Pain may also be categorized by what is likely to be the cause of the pain. Pain may be described as nociceptive (caused by tissue damage or inflammation), neuropathic (caused by nerve damage), or nociplastic (caused by changes in how your nervous system proce