Acute pain is a type of pain that may last for just a few days or as long as six months. It is often related to an illness, injury, or medical procedure. Acute pain may be mild, moderate, or severe. It usually goes away once your injury has healed or you are no longer ill.
Pain can make it hard for you to do daily activities. It can cause anxiety and lead to other problems if left untreated. Treatment depends on the cause and severity of your acute pain.
HOME CARE INSTRUCTIONS
• Check your pain level as told by your health care provider.
• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• If you are taking prescription pain medicine:
○ Ask your health care provider about taking a stool softener or laxative …show more content…
Talk to your health care provider about how and when to discontinue prescription pain medicine.
○ If your pain is severe, do not take more pills than instructed by your health care provider.
○ Do not take other over-the-counter pain medicines in addition to this medicine, unless told by your health care provider.
○ Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking prescription pain medicine.
• Apply ice or heat as told by your health care provider. These may reduce swelling and pain.
• Ask your health care provider if other strategies such as distraction, relaxation, or physical therapies can help your pain .
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.
SEEK MEDICAL CARE IF:
• You have pain that is not controlled by medicine.
• Your pain does not improve or gets worse.
• Your have side effects from pain medicines, such as vomiting or confusion.
SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE IF:
• You have severe pain.
• You have trouble breathing.
• You lose consciousness.
• You have chest pain or pressure that lasts for more than a few minutes. Along with the chest pain you