What is your tolerance for pain?
By scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
Singapore
July 18, 2009 8:35am CST
Spoken to my friend a few days ago. She was a nurse, and she mentioned that many Indians in Singapore have low tolerance for pain.
They feel pain, and they scream in pain, the moment they see the needle, even before the injection.
I hate needles and injections too, but I do not scream in pain just by seeing the needle. I hate going to the dentist, even then I do not scream out in fear. I have seen some big guys trembling (not from toothache, but from the sound of grilling machine) while in the waiting room. They feel the pain of tooth extraction even before going into the dental clinic.
Some people have high tolerance for pain. Even when the cancer is causing them great pain, they manage to tolerate the pain. By the time the pain becomes unbearable, the cancer is often in late stage.
What is your tolerance for pain? Do you fear needles and injections?
3 people like this
13 responses
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
18 Jul 09
My pain tolerance is fairly high. I was very sick when I was a child and had needles poked into me like crazy. I was also given intravenous injections which hurt like hell. Being a child I did cry.
But as I grew up, I had to face a health situation for about a month and the treatment required some chemicals and certain kinds of acids used.I would tolerate it without any complaints. I knew in my mind that I had to go through it and that was that. I would either sing songs in my head or pray and try to keep myself distracted. In fact, one day my Dr who was doing the procedure told me that the acid accidentally touched her skin and it burned and she was amazed that I was taking it so well. I was a teen then. She said she had seen older people getting scared and me being a teenage girl took it really well without so much as a whimper.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
18 Jul 09
Wow Cheee3, that is really marvellous. I heard people say that women can tolerate pain better than men, especially those who have given birth to kids, and experience birth pain before.
You seem very exceptional. I think you will be a mother who does not think birth pain is painful enough.
I wish I can tolerate pain as well, but I dont think so. A leg reflexology session is more than painful enough for me.
Well, to me its just being practical. I know what has to be done has to be done. It only makes things worse when one thinks about the pain more. I think just trying to distract your mind is the key[@Gogono3 (2)
• Canada
30 Jul 09
Actually, men can tolerate pain better then women. Kidney stones hurt as much as birth(if not more) and men get those 4 times more then women do. Plus women are more naturally sensitive. Men can actually tolerate pain more and better then women.
http://www.eurekalert.com/pub_releases/2003-04/cfta-hpt040903.php
There's an article that deals with this.
@flzmlady (417)
• China
19 Jul 09
i think i am very dumb for pain.once i got appendicitis and i didn't know it at once.the doctors were all surprised that i nearly not felt the pain. and i dont fear needles and injections perhaps becoz i have been injected many times since i was born. when the nurse do the injection to me, i look interested in watching how she put the needle into my veins and be curious about how my blood get into the needle tube.
i do see some people who are so nervous and intolerable to needles that one day i accepted an injection when a girl walked into the injection room for the same reason. she totally freaked out on the scene that the nurse came in with needls that two of her companions together held her tightly to let her be still.that's completely surprising!
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Jul 09
haha Flzmlady, the girl must think that you are a super powerful magician who can cast magic to prevent pain.
Maybe you are blessed with lesser pain cells!
Most people are fearful of the needle, probably more from bad memories from childhood or the sight of blood makes them fearful.
To be very frank, the pain when the needle goes in is hardly that much, however, the thought of the needle makes me tremble with fear.
@lsubash520 (226)
• India
18 Jul 09
I think my tolerance towards pain is more or high, but my mood of thinking or behavior on others will change like i may get serious on them and sometimes scold them, which in term lose there friendship and relationship.
But these days, i gained alot and reduced my seriousness by doing meditation sometim in a day.
As i said my resistance towards pain is more, as i used to get heavy headache and itching and even leg pains are frequent these days. I never had tablets for those as i get addicted to it and became usual thing.
But it may not be the same in everybody's case, wholely depends on the person.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Jul 09
Hi Lsubash, I admire people with high tolerance for pain. I can't tolerant pain that well. Some people can take the hot boiling pot of soup, and carry it to the other room with a thin layer of cloth for insulation, i can't do that. I do not even dare to touch the hot pot, the pain is killing.
Have you found out the reason for the headache, itching and leg pain? Sometimes can be due to poor blood circulation, sometimes more serious illness is hiding behind the usual symptoms.
I hope you get well soon! No doubt you can tolerate pain, but I think getting well, and live a painfree life is more important. All the best to your health.
@sublime03 (2339)
• Philippines
18 Jul 09
I have only been to the hospital once when I gave birth to my son and I really thought that the experience would be dreadful but it wasn't. When I wass in labor I never felt any contraction and had to ask what it felt like so I can tell the nurse when I was contracting. I honestly am scared of being injected but my whole experience in the hospital was okay. I guess the only reason why I was objecting to being injected is there are some nurses that does not do a good job in injecting in return it becomes painful.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Jul 09
Hi Sublime, I'm very fearful of injection too. Actually to be honest, the injection is less painful than my own fear.
I feel more painful seeing the needle than letting the needle goes into the skin.
Once I suffered from the nurses that did not do a good job in injection too. That was actually to get blood sample. The nurse tried a few times, and still could not get into the blood vein. I suffered for nothing, the whole arm was blue black.
@jaizhi (260)
• Philippines
18 Jul 09
I would say that my pain tolerance is low. I can stop my self from screaming but you can see me biting my lips, during my first labor I was able to tolerated the seeing the needle and having it inserted by skin but when I felt the medicine coming in my veins man it really hurts, I wan't also able to tolerate the labor pains. When it comes to dentist, I just dont have tolerance for them. It really just scared the hell out of me. I dont know I just hate the idea of dentist.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Jul 09
Hi Jaizhi, you are good enough at tolerating pain. I have some friends who are worse than you.
Once my friend went to do a foot reflexology, she had to bring along her small pillow, so that she could scream into the pillow. She's a professional working lady, those kind that appeared strong, capable and rich. Yet come to anything to do with pain, she just needed to scream.
I hate going to the dentist too, unless the toothache becomes so unbearable, then a trip to the dentist becomes the only option.
@FFFrocks (306)
• Canada
19 Jul 09
I like to think that I have a high tolerance for pain, but I'm not sure really. I have been through some painful things that's for sure but I'm not as strong as some of the people who responded to this. I will take the pain killer if it's offered!! I do hate the dentist with a passion. For whatever reason the freezing that they use doesn't work on me. The dentist can keep injecting it til my whole head is numb and I still feel the drilling. The last two filling I got were done with out freezing because the dentist and I decided that it was a waste of good medicine, I am proud to say I didn't scream or grunt or whine once!
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Jul 09
Hi FFFrocks, I do think those folks above are really good at tolerating pain.
I honestly do not have their tolerance for pain, and I think most people do not have it too.
Some kids are so cute, they cry so loudly when they suffer a bite from a tiny little ant. It is surprising to see many of those kids grow to tolerate great pain when they are older.
I can't imagine the pain you go through in the dental room. I rather ask for more injections till I black out, rather than to suffer pain.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
18 Jul 09
I have a pretty high tolerance for pain except if it's tooth pain then I just go nuts. There's no worse pain than a toothache!
I had surgery recently to remove my appendix and they couldn't do it laproscopically because of the scar tissue from a previous surgery. I had a big incision! Then it got infected and I had to pack it twice a day, no stitches, for 6 weeks while it slowly began to heal. It was really rather disgusting. I had pills for the pain but I never took them. The doctor was surprised. To me, it didn't hurt that much but I guess many people in that situation finish the pills and ask for more.
2 people like this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
18 Jul 09
Hi Dragon54u, that's marvellous, I dont think I can suffer pain as much as you.
I go nut with toothache also, especially those kind of toothaches that got worse in the middle of the night or during stormy nights, those are the ones that nearly make me cry into the pillow.
I really admire those people who have high tolerance for pain. I feel pain just by looking at those in the hospitals.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
20 Jul 09
Sometimes I think my tolerance is too high. Many Americans have a bad habit of waiting until they are in excrutiating agony to do anything about pain. I think this is mostly men but I would rather lie down for a bit than take a pill for a headache.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
20 Jul 09
Hi Canellita, I agree that many guys are very stupid, they rather endure months of excrutiating pain than to go for a checkup.
I have visited a few cancer patients after their operations. They had a big tumor growing inside, as large as an orange. I asked them why they do not seek treatment earlier, since a tumor that big must caused much pain for them. They said they think it's nothing, until the pain got unbearable.
No doubt they can tolerate pain, but I think it's stupid to tolerate pain and let the cancer spreads throughout the body.
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
20 Jul 09
I think that part of the problem is that they have this concept that as men they are supposed to suck it up and take the pain. There is always some piece on the news about how men wait too long to go to the doctor.
@PeacefulWmn9 (10420)
• United States
31 Jul 09
I had to get allergy for many years in the past, Scheng, so no, I have no fear of needles. I live with a chronic painful condition, as well, and have had to learn to accept a great deal of pain and find activiites and exercises to help make myself function in spite of that. So even considering, life can be made mostly good :)
Karen
@prinzcy (32305)
• Malaysia
19 Jul 09
I have fairly high tolerance towards pain. I got sick a lot. I was operated once. I hate medicines and I hate injection. But I don't scream at the sight of them. Needle just needle. There's no need to overreact towards it. It might be painful but there's something more painful than that. If I am sick, I'll force myself to see the doctor. If I need to be inject, so be it.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Jul 09
Hi Prinzcy, sometimes people can tolerate physical pain but not psychological pain. I think the fear of needle is psychological pain more than physical pain.
I am sorry to hear about your health condition, hope you can enjoy a healthy body, without need for medicines or doctor consultation.
I admire those people who have high tolerance for pain, I know I dont have it. I will avoid going to the dentist unless the toothache is really killing.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
19 Jul 09
Hi EsmeraldaB, don't be so sad, not many of us can tolerate pain as well as those people who respond above.
They are simply marvellous, I just hope that I can tolerate pain as well as they do, but since I dont, I know that there are many painkillers available, even the injection by the dentist helps to kill the pain for tooth extraction.
@jeg2315 (197)
• United States
31 Jul 09
I think I have developed a high tolerance. I used to get a lot of colds and flus and all when I was a kid, so maybe I got most of it out of my system and am now better. As far as the senses go, I think I have good control over how I feel pain, although if the intensity is high enough it will definitely hurt.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
31 Jul 09
Hi Jeg, sometimes I think that having frequent flus and colds are better.
I have noticed that those who always fall sick seldom have serious or chronic health conditions.
Those who seems to have perfect health are the ones who seem to have all the hidden ailments.
Sometimes those weaker ones are the ones who live long life, and never ends up in hospital or pop pills for chronic sickness. And for those over 60 years old, the ones who never seem to get flu or cold, are the ones who come down with cancer, heart attack or whatever serious illness.
@de_angel97 (549)
• Malaysia
14 Aug 09
I consider my tolerance for pain is quite high. As i remember, I never feel the fear of needles or injections. Recently i went to clinic and need to get specimen out from my lung. The way they do it is to get a tube and stick it in your nostrils, and get the tube pass by your throat, and i felt the tube get in under my throat. You are conscious and have to cooperate with the doctor, otherwise they can't get the tube in and get the specimen. I admit that i felt nervous, but i don't think that I'm going to scream out loud. Anyway, everything went smooth, and got some tears came out from my right eyes because it's not comfortable and very disturbing. So, i think I've a high tolerance for pain.
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
15 Aug 09
Hi De_angel, that's really a disgusting procedure. I hate to have anything going down my throat.
So glad to see that you have high tolerance for pain. i dont think I will take it that well.
What's the result? I hope everything goes well for you. Hate to hear anything wrong with the lung.
@de_angel97 (549)
• Malaysia
17 Aug 09
Sigh.. don't know the result yet. I totally agree with you that sometimes it's the psychological pain that terrified us, and not the physical pain. Actually it's not really that hurt to a get tube stick in your nostrils and down to your throat. You'll just feel uncomfortable and felt something so alien inside you. But if i have to do it myself, i don't think i can do it. Maybe it's the psychological pain. Haha..
