How to assess the degree of pain and the types?

As in many other pathologies, the types of pain in the elderly they are not evident in the same way as in the young adult. In elderly patients, pain can have a first manifestation as confusion, aggressiveness, fatigue, anorexia or other forms, without manifesting its explicit existence. We also have to take into account cultural factors such as "enduring pain belongs to strong people" or "we have come to this world to suffer", deeply rooted in the minds of many elderly people.

pain characteristics

In the first visit to the doctor, a medical history is necessary to determine the kind of pain, specifying since when it is had, rhythm of appearance, body distribution, factors that worsen or improve it, accompanying symptoms (dizziness, sweating, diarrhea, vision disturbances, etc.), pain characteristics (burning, like a current, like a weight, tingling, pinpricks, hammer blows, etc.), as well as previous treatments that may have been carried out.