We Don't Know What Causes the World's Worst Pain

Settle in and grab a painkiller, because these are some of the most painful diseases out there. From trigeminal neuralgia to thunderclap headaches and even jackhammer esophagus, these conditions crank the pain scale to an eleven.

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Sources:

[judgemental]

In place of the ‘hurts a bit hurts some hurts a lot’ scale, I like the ones that categorize ‘mildly annoying’ ‘limits physical work’ ‘unable to speak’

[pritishpatil]

I had hemorrhoid surgery, which went wrong, I was in extreme pain for 4 months, painkillers didn't work. Basically whenever you go for the loo, you sweat like a pig because your mind anticipates the oncoming extreme pain. You are so scared you cry even before the pain has started. This shatters you mentally.

[_maxgray]

Chronic pain can literally change how your brain perceives pain. Confusingly, chronic pain patients can have both a much higher pain tolerance *and* have nerves that are hypersensitive to pain.

[Swenthorian]

A dentist insisted on me not having novocaine for a crown fitting. The visit was me screaming with mind-blowing pain for 30 minutes.

[MatildeM]

It's terrifying how our own bodies can be an extremely hostile place to live.

[MichellePocket]

I read “jackhammer asparagus” and was soo confused

[coriwalters]

Y'all should do an episode on back pain. There may actually be enough there for several episodes. Those of us who suffer from chronic back pain, definitely know there are various causes, treatments, and other health conditions that arise from not being able to treat the pain.

[cynthiana]

The first thing they taught us at the Pain Clinic’s Pain Management Programme: All Pain is Real. All Pain is Valid.

[NavyDood]

Never thought that something I had would ever be on a list like this. I have Nutcracker esophagus and have had the pains to the point of losing breath and parts of my body going numb. I am honestly crying now because I finally have an answer for something I could never describe properly.

[Chromia]

I have a massively herniated disc in my neck right now. I have an open MRI on Wednesday. Last Monday I *literally* crawled, with the help of my son into my Doctors office. After many years, she ordered the MRI and gave me TWELVE low dose Percocet as a 3 days supply, and was told to stretch them out".
I have made that 3 days supply last 8 days, but she won't refill them.

This is why people end up self medicating. I am so 😠

[klikkolee]

I have never used "burning" or "stabbing" to refer to intensity -- it has always been about differences in kind. A burning pain feels different from a stabbing pain, not because it is more or less intense, but simply because they are different forms of pain.

[fernandahecktheuer]

I have nutcracker espophagus and had to go under extensive investigation to rule out a heart condition, so the gastroenterologist finally figured out it's the nutcracker/jackhammer esophagus. It's pretty awful and it comes out of nowhere.

[Graffitiworkrob]

Trigeminal Neuralgia patient here, I really can’t express how bad the pain can get during attacks, before I was diagnosed, I had been through some pretty intense injuries including a burst fracture of my L5, compound fracture of my left radius and ulna, herniated discs etc. and absolutely all of it was a walk in the park compared to TN. Legitimately I would rather go through the pain of breaking my back every single day for the rest of my if meant I didn’t have TN anymore. The condition has a rather notorious nickname and history, and it’s debated whether our not it’s worth it to continue to keep calling it that, but it’s the quickest way to get across the level of pain, and it still does happen unfortunately.

[ivyparker]

We can blame the opiod epidemic for causing pain to be treated as a con rather than a symptom.

[Josh-bc]

I can say something really hurts bad when you get dizzy and cold chills and hot sweats and vomiting all from the pain just to hurt so much

[AriefBudiman-mb]

Grieving someone you love also have 10 points in pain scale

[monicawallace-jntl]

One of the silliest questions the doctors/RNs ask, “if pain was a number from 1 to 10….”.
I never know how to answer, because I don’t know what THEIR reference for each number is…
Seeing the little emoji’s next to the numbers in this video should be presented EVERY time that question is asked! Thank you for the visual!

[Neighborhood_Bully]

The dental implant procedure was probably in my all time top ten.

I can't really be numbed well in the region of my jaw where they installed it. I knew this coming in and I thought I was a Big Guy and could take it. Truthfully most memory of the procedure is gone. My mind just deleted it. I just remember them stopping halfway to offer me NO2 and I was like "Just finish it already!" The drilling. Into bone. That was not 'crescent fresh'. But it didn't compare to the sensation of the knife cutting and scraping.

[thatfatman]

1:59 I like how mild pain still gets a happy face.

[-Slinger-]

I once had a big glob of sriracha sauce splash into my eye.
But still the worst pain was when my cat, not wanting to be put into a carrier, bit my knuckle and hit a nerve with his canine.
I almost crumpled to the floor and I even started sweating.