Pain

Algofobia: Addressing the fear of pain

The pain, though uncomfortable, annoying and unpredictable, also plays a role. And it is responsible for alerting us that something is wrong. But beyond the pain, when the fear to feel it restricts us and blocks to act we are faced, in medical terms, is called algofobia, emotion persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted to pain. A phobia can be as disabling as pain; the key is to address it properly.

algofobia

As uncomfortable as necessary, this may seem paradoxical. We speak of pain, a response mechanism of our body to alert us that something is wrong. The pain is annoying, and sometimes chronic, but for some patients the problem goes beyond being afraid to feel or suffer pain that can be truly disabling. The medical term that defines this unjustified fear or emotion before the pain indeterminate, regardless of the cause, is algofobia.

As with other types of phobias, the fear about certain situations can become harmful because it limits us to do what we want. For example, quit to do some kind of activity only by believing that we exposed to some form of physical pain. A crippling feeling, which can be accompanied by other symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, sleep disturbances or malaise, that to overcome may be needed psychological help.

The pain may take different forms. On the one hand, we can speak about the pain with neurologic origin – caused by the nerves – and acute pain, which can lead to chronic pain if not treated properly. In the case of acute pain, the key passes the individualized treatment as the pain threshold is different for each patient. In fact, scientific studies have suggested that the perception of pain varies greatly among those living in a happy environment versus those more secluded or predisposition to depression.

As the specialists, the relationship between pain and quality of life is unquestionable, just as people with their own pain worse perceived health, both physical and emotional level. In fact, emotions also play their role, even in a pain just about as common as the head – which by the way women are more likely, both genetic predisposition as a hormonal matter, so it is important when to address the pain of whether there have been procedure of anxiety, depression or stress, including other factors such as snuff or alcohol consumption, or the degree of personal and professional satisfaction can influence.

Although in some cases, provided under prescription – pharmacological treatments (paracetamol, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, opioids and infiltration) may be required, in others cannot always achieve the desired effects. In other words, taking medication must be controlled to prevent the disease from becoming chronic, requiring higher doses for the medication to take effect.

Leave a Reply