Pain perception differs from person to person

Krishna: This pain perception differs from person to person. Each person can give his or her own experience but these experiences need not tally.

Pain threshold refers to the lowest intensity at which a given stimulus is perceived as painful; it is relatively constant across subjects for a given stimulus. For example, most subjects will define a thermal stimulus as painful when it reaches about 50° C. Similarly, barring disease states, mechanical pressure produces pain at approximately the same amount of pressure across subjects. Pain threshold as it relates to sensitivity to pressure is measured with an algometer (1).

Pain tolerance, on the other hand, is the greatest level of pain that a subject is prepared to endure. Tolerance varies much more widely across subjects and depends on prescribed medications. Clinically, pain tolerance is of much more importance than pain threshold (1).

Pain tolerance refers to how much pain a person can reasonably handle. Some people may have a higher pain tolerance than others. Genetics, age, gender and other factors can affect a person’s pain tolerance (2).

Studies have found that the female body has a more intense natural response to painful stimuli, indicating a difference between genders in the way pain systems function. A greater nerve density present in women may cause them to feel pain more intensely than men (3). A greater nerve density present in women may cause them to feel pain more intensely than men. The fluctuating nature of female hormones may amplify the body’s perception of pain. For instance, when estrogen levels are low during the menstrual cycle or after menopause, pain receptor activity is elevated, which in turn causes the body to feel more pain. Women have a greater risk for many chronic pain-causing conditions, particularly during their reproductive years, and therefore report pain with more frequency than men (3).

Additionally, conditions such as anxiety and depression, which are reported in greater numbers in women, may exacerbate the effects of painful conditions, even if the pain itself hasn’t actually intensified.

People with high pain tolerance may not feel some sensations as harshly as others. This may be helpful in some situations, but there are some risks attached.

Pain tolerance also plays a role in some conditions of chronic pain, such as fibromyalgia. There might also be some ways to increase pain tolerance for people whose tolerance is very low.

With so many factors influencing pain perception, how can you expect to get a uniform and unbiased answer to this question?

Footnotes:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/pain-th...
2. High pain tolerance: Causes, understanding, and how to affect
3. Do Women Feel More Pain More Intensely than Men? - Riverside Pain P...