You know your own body and mind. When it comes to describing medical symptoms — from sharp chest pains to sudden mood swings — as the patient, you’re the go-to member for the entire health care team.

After a series of questions, the doctor leans in and asks, “Does your pain buzz?” I answer, “No.” I answer no because, unfortunately, I am not a bee, nor does the 15 minutes of our time together allow ...

Two of the Painimations. One is meant to represent a stabbing pain, and the other neuropathic pain. Doctors often ask patients to rank their pain on a scale of one to 10, and responses inform ...

Pain scales are tools for people to describe the level of pain they experience. Healthcare workers can also use pain scale charts to assess patients. There are several different pain scales, each with ...

Patients should be able to use images and metaphors alongside traditional medical scales to describe their pain to doctors, a new study says. Patients should be able to use images and metaphors ...

Research findings showed the pool of 84 pain descriptors from the McGill Pain Questionnaire can be condensed into a subset of 36 descriptors that fit into 12 categories to describe chronic pain, ...

And ways to advocate for yourself if you’re being ignored. By Christina Caron The women had heard that IVF would be hard, but many of them were in shock at how painful the procedure was. “I felt ...

Both gas and a heart attack can cause chest pain that feels like pressure or tightness. However, additional symptoms, such as pain in other areas of the body, shortness of breath, and dizziness, can ...

Patients should be able to use images and metaphors alongside traditional medical scales to describe their pain to doctors, a new study says. Pain cards with pictures to describe feelings and poetry ...