Every time I go to the doctor, they ask if I am in pain today.
And whenever I need pain medicine lately, they say to take aspirin! Same thing with dentists.
So why do they bother to ask if I am in pain? Are they sadistic and relish then saying to take aspirin?
That’s weird; I can never get health-care professionals to use the “p” word any more. “This will be a bit tender for a while…” “You’ll feel some pressure when I do this…”
The quality and location of pain can be very useful towards finding out what’s wrong with you, even if we can’t do anything about the pain. Our interest in pain goes far beyond ending it.
I can’t remember the last time a healthcare professional advised me to take aspirin for pain. Maybe sometime in the 80’s? Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, sure, but not aspirin.
I have a condition that stems from childhood:
When I was a wee lad in the 70s, I had one of my fingers severed in a door. It ripped the fingertip of my right ring finger off. We rushed to the hospital, where they successfully reattached the fingertip.
I was running a fever when this happened, and I’ve been told that the anesthesia and the fever caused many of my adult teeth to come in with no enamel on them. I’ve had sealant treatments, but it’s not quite the same.
As a result, my teeth break very easily, even though I take care of them. I’ve had around half a dozen surgically removed after breaking in the gum line. I have a few more that need it now.
My dentist knows aspirin won’t work for me. He also has no problem with the word “pain.”
For the record, I’ve had back surgery, broken bones, and kidney stones. NONE of them compare to a toothache.
I’ve been told numerous times that my type of kidney disease cannot cause pain. Uh, yeah. Talk to anyone who has polycystic kidney disease and they ALL report some level of pain stemming directly due to kidneys. I’m lucky in that I can function 90% of the time. I know some who are pretty much bedridden. The most I’ve been told is to take a Tylenol.
Comparison: I’ve had kidney stones and I’ve had cysts rupture. I’ll take a slew of kidney stones any day.
Also the druggies go to the doctor and greatly exaggerate their pain. Then someone like me goes in and I say “It hurts!”. So they don’t think I am in much pain. But the reason I am there is because the over-the-counter stuff did not work! Duh!
Monday night…
Are you in any pain?
Well, I bit my tongue in a couple places.
But are you in any pain?
Look, it was a seizure. During it I felt nothing. After it I wondered what all the fuss was about. I didn’t fall down and besides the tongue and a tooth that was already busted getting more busted I’m fine.
But are you in any pain? And what is your date of birth?
These simple surveys, annoying as they may be, are successful at getting patients to reveal problems. It would be better if doctors had better relationships with their patients but that ship has sailed. The doctors will have a record of your past responses to this question and any change in your answer should be a red flag. Any response indicating pain greater than should be associated with your condition should be noticed also. If I was in real pain I’d tell the doctor or assistant quite clearly but apparently enough people don’t bother speaking up to make this simple question worthwhile.
They also ask “Do you feel safe at home?”. To which I usually answer something like “Well, the cat has been looking kind of shifty lately.”
I get it – they’re on the lookout for domestic violence. But as a single guy with a cat, I find the question hilarious. OK, not hilarious. Mildly amusing.
The first time the nurse asked me that question I was totally nonplussed. I thought a moment and answered, “no offense, but if I didn’t you’d be the last person I’d tell”.
That was the first and last time they asked me that question.
If that cat ever grew thumbs, you’d be it’s punching bag.
yeah why would a physician want to be 100% sure a guy who just had a seizure is or isnt in pain?