Sensitivity to pain

In the Sensitivity to pain (also sensitivity or sensation disorder) the person concerned suffers from a disruption of the perception of sensory stimuli. In most cases, the changed sensitivity to pain is due to a different disease or a neurological cause. Sensitivity or sensitivity to pain can express itself to the effect that the patient does not feel any pain or sensory stimuli or that stimuli are perceived as stronger than usual.

What is sensitivity to pain?

The perception of pain is different for everyone. However, some people experience pain differently - stronger or weaker - than is generally the case. Those affected suffer from a sensitivity to pain.

The sensitivity to pain is divided into different categories according to its severity. Analgesia, for example, expresses complete insensitivity to pain; if hyperalgesia is present, the pain sensation is significantly reduced. In allodynia, the patient perceives pain as a stimulus that does not cause pain in other people.

In hyperalgesia, even very slight stimuli cause extreme pain. The changed perception of pain is not a disease in the strict sense, but is mostly observed as an accompaniment to other diseases. Men and women are equally affected, and very rarely children are completely insensitive to pain (analgesia).

causes

The causes of a disturbed sensitivity to pain can usually be found in other diseases. For example, people with autism often experience distorted perceptions of pain.

Touching can cause pain, as can noises or smells. Patients who suffer from a borderline disorder - a borderline disorder is a serious mental illness - often have a disturbed sense of pain. In connection with this disease, it is typical to self-inflict extremely painful injuries in order to even be able to feel tactile pain (scratching the skin with razor blades).

Organic causes are rare, but can also be considered as a cause. This can lead to disturbances in the transmission of stimuli between individual nerves. This occurs when nerves are irreparably severed as a result of an accident or surgery. Injury to or damage to the brain can also result in a change in pain perception.

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Diseases with this symptom

• Perineal tear
• Fibromyalgia

• autism
• Sudeck's disease
• Borderline syndrome
• Prostate inflammation

Diagnosis & course

Making a diagnosis is difficult even for experienced medical professionals. Unless the causes of the changed perception of pain are obvious - e.g. due to an injury - the physician can only conclude that there has been a change in pain sensitivity by asking the patient.

Some tests - such as teaching physical pain stimuli that trigger a corresponding perception in other patients - are possible and allow conclusions to be drawn about the presence of hyperalgesia or analgesia. The intentional infliction of physical pain is not without controversy.

A change in pain sensation is usually slow for the person concerned and increases continuously. Often times, a patient does not notice their condition until relatively severe injuries are not causing pain.

Complications

Sensitivity to pain does not usually have to lead to complications or other difficulties. However, it can have a major impact on and restrict a patient's everyday life. Ordinary activities are often no longer possible, and in many cases work can no longer be pursued. The sensitivity to pain therefore has a negative effect on the quality of life and can also lead to social problems.

This can lead to depression or other mental health problems. In this case, the person concerned should contact a psychologist. The treatment itself can also be carried out by a psychologist, as it usually has psychological causes. However, it cannot be predicted whether it will lead to success, as the reasons for sensitivity to pain vary widely.

If sensitivity to pain is a medical condition, it can often be treated easily. In this way, pain-sensitive teeth can be relieved by removing the tooth root. The treatment itself is without complications and does not lead to further difficulties. However, it is relatively difficult for doctors to determine sensitivity to pain, as this depends primarily on the patient's personal condition.

When should you go to the doctor?

As a rule, a doctor should always be consulted if you are sensitive to pain. This is a sign that there is an infection, inflammation or fatigue at a certain point, which should definitely be examined.

Especially in the oral cavity and on the teeth, the sensitivity to pain can be very unpleasant and lead to the food supply being restricted. In this case, a dentist can be visited. If the pain sensitivity occurs only temporarily or occurs after certain activities, it is not necessary to consult a doctor. The patient must also decide for himself whether the pain is particularly stressful or only lasts for a short time. However, it is not advisable to put additional strain on the pain-sensitive areas. These should be spared.

If the pain is localized precisely, the specialist can be consulted directly, as he can carry out targeted treatment. However, if the person concerned is unsure what the cause of the pain is, the family doctor will usually help.

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Treatment & Therapy

A changed pain sensation itself can only be treated to a limited extent. Which therapy is advised to the patient depends on the respective cause. Many patients can be helped with psychological support.

The attempt is made to support the patient in dealing with his changed sensitivity to pain. Together with the patient, an attempt is made to define situations in which the changed perception of pain occurs particularly frequently or in a particularly unpleasant manner. Once the situations have been identified, certain strategies can be developed that make the pain perception bearable.

If there are organic causes - such as an injury to the nerves - the damage is usually irreparable. It is sometimes reported that the sensation of pain in areas of the body in which nerves have been severed due to an operation, returns later (e.g. in the lower abdomen after a caesarean section).

Outlook & forecast

Diagnosing pain sensitivity is relatively difficult as the doctor cannot feel or measure it. Relatively often there is sensitivity to pain due to psychological stimuli. In these cases, a psychologist must advise the patient and find the cause of the pain. Therapy is usually relatively slow and takes a long time until the patient's pain sensation has normalized. Whether the therapy is successful or not, however, depends heavily on the patient's sensitivity to pain.

The pain sensitivity can also occur in certain regions in the body that react particularly strongly to stimuli, such as the teeth. In these cases, treatment by a doctor is necessary.

Sensitivity to pain can severely restrict a patient's everyday life and reduce the quality of life. Certain activities are then no longer possible without restrictions, which sometimes leads to depression or other psychological problems.

In many cases the sensitivity to pain can be limited relatively well. Painkillers should be avoided in the long term as they damage the stomach. Unfortunately, in some cases, nerves are irreparably damaged, making pain sensitivity difficult to treat.

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➔ Medicines for pain

prevention

A change in pain sensation cannot be prevented. Certain clinical pictures bring about a change in pain perception in their specific course. In this way, a borderline patient can be accompanied accordingly during his therapy. People who are completely insensitive to pain can learn to avoid injuries or to have injuries treated that do not trigger pain in them.

You can do that yourself

Sensitivity to pain can only be treated to a limited extent at home. In some cases this occurs for psychological reasons and should therefore also be examined and treated by a psychologist. If the teeth are sensitive to pain, oral hygiene should be improved. This includes brushing your teeth daily, flossing, and using a mouthwash. It is also advisable to talk to the dentist in this case.

If pain sensitivity occurs in or on other parts of the body, the corresponding areas should not be heavily stressed in order to reduce the pain sensitivity. Sports activities or heavy physical exertion should be avoided in this case. On occasion, pain medication can be used to combat the onset of pain. In the long run, however, pain medication should not be used. The affected areas can also be cooled with the help of home remedies such as quark compresses in order to alleviate the pain. Herbs and herbal teas also help to numb the pain and soothe the pain-sensitive area.

Other alternative methods of relieving pain sensitivity include massage, meditation, or hypnosis. If there is no improvement, see a doctor as the disease may be more serious and cause the pain.