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Research suggests that in the face of pain, the strengths of the two sexes are not equal. Women feel it more sharply and longer than men. Here are five little-known facts about female pain that will help you better understand the female body and treat it more carefully.
1. Women feel pain more than men.
“In experiments where subjects were specifically inflicted with pain, it was observed that in women it occurs faster, lasts longer and they tolerate it worse,” says Dr. Alain Serrie, president of the French Society for the Treatment of Pain (SFETD). One of the reasons, according to the hypothesis of scientists, is the menstrual cycle. “Regular pain during menstruation stimulates the female nervous system, because of this, she could become more susceptible to pain over time,” says Éric Boccard, director of the Upsa Institute for pain research.
About 90% of women, according to the International Association for the Study of Pain, experience acute pain during menstruation, and this begins as early as adolescence. Over time, the fair sex becomes more sensitive to all other types of pain (toothache, migraines, abdominal cramps).
2. Women are more anxious about pain.
Strong and weak sex react differently to pain. The brain scan method shows that in men and women experiencing pain, different zones responsible for emotions are activated. “Of course, the system is identical, but emotions such as fear and anxiety are more characteristic of the female sex,” explains Eric Bokar.
3. Women are more likely to suffer from psychosomatic illnesses
According to statistics, women work more, but at the same time earn less than men. “Social insecurity, critical moments of stress, loneliness are conditions that contribute to the onset of chronic pain,” insists Alan Seri. “Women in this case are at greater risk, as they are more prone to psychosomatic illnesses.” Chronic pain (those that last more than three months) cause psychological suffering, which in turn provokes physical pain.
4. Influence of hormones
Estrogen certainly matters. But, according to Florence Dixmerias-Iskandar, professor of neurophysiology at the Bergoni Institute in Bordeaux, so far the scientific research has only allowed us to speculate: “Female hormones probably play an important role in how women deal with pain. Migraines associated with the menstrual cycle may lessen during pregnancy or after the onset of menopause.”
5. The weaker sex needs more painkillers.
Painkillers based on morphine are differently perceived by the central nervous system in men and women *. “We found that women experience more intense pain and require 30% more morphine-based drug to achieve the same pain relief as men,” says Professor Daniel Carr of Tufts University School of Medicine. (Tufts University School of Medicine).
* US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, November 2003.