The answer is yes. When it is not effectively relieved and treated, acute pain has a detrimental effect on all aspects of your quality of life. While this kind of pain only lasts for no longer than six months, studies have shown that it can produce anxiety and emotional distress in the lives of individuals, affect their general well-being negatively, and also inhibit their ability to perform daily family activities.
What is acute pain?
Acute pain is a sharp pain that comes on suddenly and is brought about by something specific. This pain is short in duration and does not last longer than six months; it usually lasts from minutes to about three months. The pain tends to be related to a temporary illness or a soft-tissue injury, so it typically goes away after the illness or injury subsides.
Some causes of acute pain include broken bones, dental work, cuts or burns, labor and childbirth, surgery, and trauma.
Acute pain can affect your quality of life in many ways
Pain occurs when a part of your body hurts, causing an unpleasant or uncomfortable feeling. Below are ways acute pain can affect an individual’s quality of life.
1. A person gets moody and depressed
Pain robs an individual of their lives. A patient may become anxious or depressed and may even want to end their life because of pain. This mostly results from being unable to do many of the things they could do without the pain. It robs them of their relationships with others, their ability to maintain employment, and sometimes the joy they have when they are without pain.
According to a study by WHO (World Health Organization), people who live with persistent pain are four times more likely to suffer from anxiety or depression than individuals without pain, and more than twice as likely to have difficulty working and concentrating. This shows how much pain can overwhelmingly negatively affect every other aspect of life.
2. You are unable to participate in community and social activities
When you are in constant acute pain, the last thing you want to do is attend a friend’s backyard barbecue, a company party, neighborhood meetings, or even small gatherings with your family members or close friends. This later drives you into social isolation and makes you feel lonely, which deteriorates your happiness.
3. Pain affects sleep and appetite
Pain is very uncomfortable and could lead you to forfeit food and sleep. Constant aches and pains can understandably cause a loss of appetite, leading to a loss of sleep. And without these two, your cognitive function ends up getting affected. This includes your reasoning, thinking, memory, motivation to exercise, and even concentrating on a job.
4. Severe acute pain causes stress
The endocrine system reacts by releasing excessive hormones, eventually resulting in protein, carbohydrate, and fat catabolism; poor glucose use, and other harmful effects. When this reaction is combined with inflammatory processes, it can lead to weight loss, increased respiratory rate, shock, fever, tachycardia, and even death. Unrelieved pain lengthens the stress response, adversely affecting recovery.
Acute pain management plan
Patients with acute pain need adequate pain relief, and most cases of mild acute pain do not necessitate treatment with medications. For severe pain, analgesics instead of opioids can be effective. However, for more severe acute pain that does not respond to various treatment options, opioids can be administered to provide relief.
It is always advisable to first contact your doctor before you embark on any self-treatment. This is because they will be in a better position to advise on the right kind of treatment according to your level of pain.
Southern Pain Clinic has an excellent team that coordinates pain treatment plans that are individually designed for you. We aim to provide optimal pain relief or reduction by utilizing state-of-the-art healthcare to improve your quality of life. Fill out the form below to contact our team for further queries.