ACHE

Ache, a dull, constant, sometimes throbbing pain. A backache often is described as a dull pain, and a toothache or headache as a throbbing pain. A dull aching pain of the bones occurs in influenza, and muscular rheumatism involves aching of the muscles.

An ache, like all other types of pain, is useful and even life-saving. It is a warning signal, indicating that something is wrong. Without the ache of a strained back, a decayed tooth, a bruised muscle, or an inflamed joint, a person would not know that something was wrong until much more damage had been done.

How quickly a person feels pain and how much he or she can tolerate is both physiological and psychological. The pain threshold is a measure of the stimulus needed in order to register pain. The ability to sustain pain without complaining, crying, or inability to work varies greatly from person to person. An inpends on many factors, including his previous experience with aches, his childhood training with regard to appropriate responses to aches, his general state of health, and the presence or absence of fatique. If someone is busy with work or play, an ache may hardly be noticed.

Aching, possibly caused by the buildup of toxic substances, often follows strenuous exercise. The achiness gradually disappears with rest. The same aching feeling accompanies many illnesses, including a severe cold and malfunctioning kidneys. In such illnesses, the accumulation of wastes in the system produce the symptom of generalized aching until the illness disappears or is successfully treated.