A recent study conducted by American researchers identified cluster headaches as the most excruciating pain a person can experience, surpassing labor pains, gunshot wounds, and bone fractures.
The study surveyed 1,604 individuals suffering from cluster headaches. Participants were asked to compare the intensity of their pain with more than 12 other painful medical conditions, including stab wounds, heart attacks, and bone fractures, using a scale from 1 to 100.
Results revealed that cluster headaches ranked first in pain severity with an average score of 9.7 out of 10. In comparison, labor pains scored 7.2 out of 10, placing them second on the scale.
Cluster headaches are characterized by sharp, burning, or piercing pain around one eye. These headaches can last between 15 minutes and three hours and may occur multiple times a day. Symptoms often include restlessness, tearing or redness of the eye, and a stuffy or runny nose.
Pancreatitis, which occurs when digestive enzymes attack the pancreas causing inflammation, ranked third with a pain score of 7.0. Kidney stones, known for causing burning pain as the body tries to expel them through urination, received a score of 6.9 out of 10.
A gunshot wound was rated 6 out of 10 on the pain scale. Gallstones, hardened deposits that can form in the gallbladder, ranked fifth with a score of 6.3. A slipped disc, where tissue between spinal bones presses on nerves causing discomfort, scored 5.9 out of 10, the same as herniated discs.
Migraine attacks were rated 5.4 out of 10, placing them eighth on the list of painful conditions. Fibromyalgia and bone fractures both received a score of 5.2 out of 10, ranking ninth and tenth respectively on the pain scale.
Heart attacks were rated at 5 out of 10 in terms of pain severity. Conditions such as arthritis received the lowest pain rating of 4.0 out of 10.
Participants rated each condition on a scale of 0 to 10, with scores above seven classified as severe pain. The researchers acknowledged limitations in their study, including the possibility that participants may not accurately recall the intensity of past painful experiences.
Cluster headaches reportedly affect 0.1 percent of the global population, classifying them as extremely rare. Most patients experience episodic cluster headaches, with episodes lasting from four to 12 weeks that can impact daily life.
According to Brain Research UK, cluster headaches have been described as one of the most painful conditions known to man, and this study reinforces that designation.
Common painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen often provide little relief from the agony of cluster headaches, and sufferers may also experience nausea, redness or swelling of the eye, and nasal congestion.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.