Question

What factors influence how we perceive mild pain ?

Answer 1

The perception of Mild pain is influenced by various fctors such as psychological factor (Including emotional factors and situational factors), genetic developmental factors, familial factors and cultural factors. Some of psychological factors that affect or influence our perception to pain are as follows:

1. Attention: If we pay too much attention to a painful stimulus that can lead to intensification of pain.
2. Expectation: Often an inflated expectation can override feedback from pain receptors, turning what should be a mild pain into a severe one.
3. Interpretation: Assessment of pain (Like its severity, frequency of occurrence etc.) varies according to the context. Someone who had previously suffered a heart attack, for example, may interpret differently the mild pain in chest occurring to him.
4. Context: Sometimes the context and circumstances also influence the perception of a pain.
5. Emotions: Several emotional factors like Fear, anxiety, depression, and general distress can elevate pain intensity. For example, People suffering from depression are more likely to seek medical treatment for pain than a normal person complaining about pain.
6. Coping strategies: Apart from medicine There are various other factors such as distraction, biofeedback, visualization, and positive affirmations which are helpful in reducing the burden of chronic pain.