What is acute pain exactly? It is a short-term pain that can be sharp or dull, mild or intense, but it goes away quickly. Within the normal healing period, it can fade within a few hours to a few weeks.
You should keep in mind that the diagnosis of pain is up to the doctor, and that not all pain can be treated with over-the-counter medications.
Acute pain is your body’s way of telling you that it has been injured or that you may have overdone it a bit. It is a warning sign telling you to stop, slow down and make any necessary adjustments.
Until it goes away, what can you do to relieve it? When should you see a doctor? These are all the details and nuances: from the ay! Of pain until the ah! Of relief.
What is the difference between acute pain and chronic pain?
Over the years we all feel strange pangs here and there, it’s a part of life. Sometimes that pain is intense, other times it is weak.
Understanding pain better can help you deal with those sensations. Knowing the difference between acute and chronic can also help you better explain your experiences to health professionals? Find out how to talk to your doctor about pain.
Pain can be classified as acute or chronic. Although it is quite common for those who suffer from chronic pain to speak of “acute flare-ups” when the pain increases or they spend a day in a lot of pain.
The terms acute and chronic refer to how long the pain has been experienced, not its intensity. Knowing the differences between acute pain and chronic pain will help you choose the right treatment to get better.
What is acute pain?
It appears suddenly, usually as a result of tissue damage due to injury, or trauma. It usually goes away when the underlying cause is treated and fixed.
Acute pain is short-lived and goes away when the injury heals. Short-term pain treatments can make you feel better.
However, not all pain can be treated with over-the-counter medications. In case of using them, always follow the instructions for use.
This ailment can pause your life for some time, until you heal. However, when it wears off, you should be able to get back into your routine and live to your fullest potential.
Chronic pain
Chronic pain, pain that lasts three months or more, is different from acute pain or the kind of discomfort you feel when you suffer an injury or overexert yourself. Chronic pain extends beyond the normal healing time.
In fact, it is not usually used to keep you immobilized and prevent further injury, but rather is residual pain from an underlying condition or disease.
If you have severe pain, or pain that lasts over time, it is important that you see a doctor.
Acute pain symptoms
Symptoms depend on the part of the body affected and the type of injury.
Some of the symptoms linked to acute pain are:
- Swelling
- redness
- Inflammation
- Fatigue
- Numbness
- Stiffness or inability to use the affected body part
- Dull or sharp pain
- dizziness
- Insomnia
Suffering from sharp and intense pain can also affect your concentration or ability to think coherently. This is because the processing and management of pain consume many cognitive resources of the brain.
The severity of the injury is not always in tune with the level of pain you experience.
Causes of acute pain
The causes of this ailment are several and depend on the type of injury you have. However, acute pain is usually caused by some type of tissue injury. As a result, pain receptors are activated through substances called prostaglandins, which transmit messages to the brain that translate into a sensation of pain.
Some of the most common causes are: touching a hot stove, stubbed toe (something we all hate), twisting your knee while playing sports, or giving birth.
The aches and pains you feel when you have the flu are also a form of acute pain. In general, any injury that heals in less than three months can become a cause of acute pain.
Among the most common causes are also:
- Muscle strains and sprains
- contusions
Acute pain treatment
For the management and treatment of acute pain, it is important to identify and treat its cause. However, as the causes are very varied, so are their treatments and control techniques.
Even so, there are a number of generalized techniques for the treatment of this ailment that you could consider.
Treatment may involve:
Rest of the affected part
Rest can facilitate healing. In fact, one of the main goals of this pain is to get us to slow down so that the body rests.
Apply heat or ice
Heat or ice can help reduce inflammation and swelling. This therapy can help you heal and relieve pain.
Surgery
In specific cases, depending on the origin of the pain: surgery may be necessary. It is important that you consult a doctor in case of severe, long-lasting or unexplained pain.
Exercise
Although it may seem counterintuitive, sometimes low-intensity physical exercise can help relieve pain by increasing blood flow to the affected area. However, be very careful.
Straining an injured muscle or joint can have the opposite effect. If you feel the pain increasing, stop immediately. If you are not sure what type of exercise is the most appropriate, consult a health professional?
Prescription Medications
Some pain requires treatment with prescription medications. It will be the doctor who must determine the need to use these medications, and, where appropriate, prescribe them.
NSAIDs
Nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs like Voltadol Gel are effective at relieving acute soft tissue pain, so you can get back to doing all the things you love.
Voltadol is indicated for people over 14 years of age for the local relief of mild and occasional pain and inflammation caused by:
- minor bruises, bumps, strains
- torticollis or other contractures
- occasional back pain (as a result of practicing sports activities or during activities of daily living) and minor sprains produced as a result of a twist
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