Advanced Pathophysiology

Advanced Pathophysiology

Introduction

Body responds to various stimuli via different pathways. Pain is one of these types of body responses. Pain is defined as the disagreeable emotional as well as sensory experience allied to the potential and actual tissue damage. There are two main types of pain; chronic and acute pain. Moreover, there is another type of pain exists, known as referred pain. This is a unique sort of pain. Body percepts it in the part of the body away from the origin of the pain.

Discussion

Pathophysiology of Various Types of Pain

Acute pain is the instantaneous pain to inform the damaging condition of the body parts. Acute pain results from any infection, inflammation, a sudden fracture or physical trauma. It is for a short time. Whereas the chronic pain is persistent type of pain and need long term treatment. It lasts about in 6 months and more. In certain cases, pain may continue even after the therapy of the cause. The general conditions causing chronic pain include lupus, rheumatic disorders and arthritis. The pathophysiology of different type of pain is different with some similarities. On the other hand, the pathway of the referred pain depends on the part of body damaged.

Pathophysiology of Chronic and Acute Pain

The similar pathways are involved in the origin of pain, which are

Damage to the pain nerve

Damage in the nerve travelling region of brain

Psychogenic causes

Stimulation of the pain nerve senso

(John, 2009)

Acute and chronic pain is caused due to the secretion of chemicals or factors that stimulate the sensitization of the nociceptors. These receptors potentially indicate the tissue damage. In elderly patients, the perception of pain becomes changed and less severe and less frequent symptom such as in condition of the chest and abdominal pain. Many alterations occur in the nervous system of the older patients. The changes include ...