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Who handles pain better, women or men? This simple question is hotly debated in the medical community and, indeed, many social circles. There’s the argument that women naturally handle pain better, because they have to experience menstrual cramps and childbirth. This is fairly convincing until you consider the fact that in a recent study of 11,000 patients, women were consistently found to have elevated clinical pain scores in comparison to men.

Pain is, of course, a totally subjective thing, and there are many different factors that must be called into account when examining the way one person handles it. A man may understate the severity of his pain in an attempt to seem more masculine. Two women may experience the same injury, but experience it differently due to one of them living with a pre-existing condition that causes chronic pain.

What is undeniable is that, for doctors, fairly evaluating a patient’s pain level is no easy task. And if recent reports are anything to go by, this is leading to unfair treatment of female patients. According to research carried out over the past few years, women’s pain is – by and large – taken less seriously than men’s. Abdominal pain is just one instance where men and women are treated very differently, with men waiting an average of 49 minutes in A&E and women an average of 65 minutes.

Some may argue that doctors are more likely to downplay abdominal pain in women, because they make the assumption it is related to menstrual cramps (which are agonising but otherwise harmless). But in this worrying story penned by journalist Joe Fassler, we see an example of a potentially life-threatening condition ignored by hospital doctors and nurses for many hours. Recently, coverage of endometriosis – a condition in which cells similar to those in the womb lining grow outside of the uterus – has also revealed how women suffering with this debilitating condition are often dismissed by doctors.

Regardless of what pain may indicate, it’s important as a patient to feel as though your suffering is acknowledged and understood. The question is: how should women go about seeking medical help for pain when doctors are more likely to dismiss it?

What to Do If You’re Experiencing Pain

The hard and fast rule for any health-related issue is to trust your instincts. If you begin to experience pain that you have never felt before and that doesn’t go away on its own, it is always worth seeking medical help.

There are also certain symptoms that, according to medical advice, should never be ignored. These include:

• A sudden, severe headache, especially if it is accompanied by visual aura. This could indicate a number of acute conditions that require immediate medical attention.
• Bad toothache where the tooth throbs or twinges. If left untreated, a damaged nerve can become infected, and this infection can spread through the body causing serious complications.
• Severe, stabbing abdominal pain that travels to your lower right-hand side and becomes worse as time goes on. This could indicate appendicitis, but it could also be a sign of an ovarian cyst. In either case, do not ignore the pain.
• Constant back pain and numb feet. This is an indication of a problem in the spine, caused by a spinal disc slipping or rupturing and pressing on the spinal nerves.
• Chest pain, shortness of breath and a feeling of tightness or pressure in the chest. This can indicate a heart attack.

Living with Chronic Pain

In some cases, pain is not something that requires urgent medical treatment. For people who suffer from conditions that cause chronic pain, it’s simply a part of everyday life.

There are many different ways of managing chronic pain, but some things that are known to help include exercise, physical therapy and painkillers. The psychological aspect of chronic pain can also be very damaging; for that reason, it’s advised that you try and live as normal a lifestyle as possible. Staying in work, continuing to see friends, and making sure you leave the house every day are all key to maintaining a positive outlook.

The NHS has further resources dedicated to living with pain, which you can explore here. Otherwise, speak to your GP or visit The Online Clinic’s Pain Management centre, where you can learn more about managing pain and request safe prescription painkillers.