Cluster headaches ranked as the most agonizing issue, earning a mean score of 9.7 out of 10 on the pain scale.
According to the Mayo Clinic, cluster headaches are characterized as “a highly painful type of headache” that “occurs in cycles known as clusters.”
These cluster periods can persist for weeks or even months.
Symptoms include intense pain behind one eye radiating to other parts of the face, head, and neck; pain localized to one side; restlessness; nasal congestion or discharge that hurts; and changes in skin color on the affected side of the face.
Cluster headaches were rated 9.7 out of 10 on the pain scale (Getty Stock Image)
Childbirth followed as the second most painful condition with a mean score of 7.2, and pancreatitis came in third at 7.
Kidney stones were ranked fourth with a score of 6.9.
Other conditions scoring above five included gunshot wounds, gallstones, herniated discs, migraines, fibromyalgia, and bone fractures.
Interestingly, a heart attack was rated only 5 out of 10, despite being a leading cause of fatalities listed in the study.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 805,000 Americans experience a heart attack annually, making heart disease one of the country’s top causes of death.
Conversely, cluster headaches, while extremely painful, are not life-threatening.
They are quite rare, affecting around 0.1 percent of the world’s population, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image
