Which pain is the strongest: Details of the study
The most excruciating type of pain identified for humans (photo: Freepik)
Scientists have identified the most excruciating pain a human can experience — one that surpasses even childbirth on the intensity scale. This type of pain can lead to complete physical and emotional exhaustion, according to a study published in the Headache journal.
What is the most intense pain?
Everyone experiences pain at different levels, as pain thresholds vary from person to person. There is a common belief that childbirth is the most intense pain a woman can experience. However, it turns out this is not the case.
A study listed the most intense types of pain humans can endure, including childbirth, gunshot wounds, and herniated discs.
Childbirth ranked second, while cluster headaches unexpectedly took first place. This type of pain can occur multiple times a day and last for weeks or months.
The pain may subside for a period (a week, month, or year), or there may be no break at all between episodes of pain.
Symptoms of cluster headaches
The main symptoms of cluster headaches include:
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Sharp, burning, or piercing pain, usually on one side of the head, around the eye
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Headaches that occur at the same time of year or at a specific time of day
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Headaches that start and stop suddenly, without warning
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Headaches that last from 15 minutes to three hours.
According to scientists, cluster headaches affect approximately one in 1,000 people.
Pain intensity ratings
American researchers concluded that cluster headaches are more painful than childbirth, knife wounds, and pancreatitis. They asked 1,604 people to rate the intensity of pain they experienced during an attack, compared to other painful conditions.
Participants were asked to rate the pain for each condition on a scale from 0 to 10, with any score above seven classified as "severe."
Cluster headaches received an average pain score of 9.7 out of 10, while childbirth pain was rated at 7.2.
Pancreatitis, a condition in which the pancreas becomes inflamed for a short period of time, ranked third with a score of 7.
Next were kidney stones (6.9), gallstones (6.3), and gunshot wounds, which received a surprising rating of 6.
Following these were migraine attacks with 5.4 points, fibromyalgia with 5.2 points, and bone fractures, also with 5.2 points.
Heart attacks and sciatica, which occur when the sciatic nerve running from the lower back to the legs is irritated or compressed, both scored 5.0, while knife wounds scored 4.9, and shingles scored 4.6.
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