Chapter 3: Symptoms and health concerns
Pain – What is it and what may cause it
Her pain was pretty well managed, but one of things we didn’t know was why she’d feel so tired or even a little nauseated after they adjusted her pain pills. After a couple days it would go away, but if you don’t know that can happen, it can be a little scary.
Pain is the unpleasant experience a person has when their body is hurt. It is one of the ways the body tells someone that there’s a problem. Many different problems can cause pain such as injuries, arthritis, or serious diseases like cancer. Everyone experiences pain differently. Pain may be a part of serious illnesses; however, most pain can be well controlled outside of a hospital environment. If pain is not treated, a person may experience difficulty interacting with friends and family, feel isolated, be unable to eat or sleep, and become depressed.
What causes pain
There are many reasons why someone may experience pain. Click below to see some of the reasons.
The disease itself, such as a tumour irritating nearby organs, bones, or nerves
Problems related to the disease, such as stiffness from decreased activity
Treatments, such as pain felt after surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation
Problems unrelated to the disease, such as arthritis that has been there for years
Keeping track
Be sure to note the person’s pain in the tracking journal. This will help to share information with their healthcare provider.
Click here to see the questions the healthcare provider may ask. You might use these questions to guide the tracking journal.
