Just when you thought we couldn't get more
mileage out of human suffering, we're back with yet another episode proving that existence
is pain. We've covered the most painful cancers, stings, and medical conditions that
leave people in horrible agony, and we've got more to add to our list of
most painful things a human can experience. Warning: our final entry
includes very graphic imagery. Frozen Shoulder Everyone's likely gotten the cold
shoulder at least once in their life, but frozen shoulder will cause you more than
some low level social pain. Common amongst people who are recovering from medical conditions
or procedures that restrict arm movement, frozen shoulder begins slowly, and then quickly ramps
up to full-blown agony which can last for years. Your shoulder and all its associated ligaments, tendons, and bones are all wrapped up in
a gift-wrapping of connective tissues. When you don't use your arm for long stretches
of time though, that tissue can begin to thicken, slowly but steadily reducing the range of motion
of your arm. If unchecked, frozen shoulder will eventually all but immobilize you, and trying to
move your arm will result in great amounts of pain as you fight against the tissue that's keeping
your various bits and pieces tightly restrained. Docs aren't sure why frozen shoulder develops
exactly, but it's known to strike those with diabetes or who have their limbs immobilized
for long periods of time. The bad news about frozen shoulder is that the treatment is
even more agonizing than the condition, as the only way to cure it is to routinely
exercise your arm with stretches and exercises meant to restore mobility. You're literally
having to stretch your overly tightened tissues into normal mobility, causing severe agony. The next item on our list is a killer that
can strike almost anyone, at any time. Heart Attack If you've ever been wealthy enough to go
to the emergency room to seek treatment then you've likely been asked if you're
experiencing any chest pains. That's because doctors are on the lookout for a heart attack,
one of the most painful things you can experience. Caused by a blockage of blood flow, a heart attack
is the heart literally fighting for its life. Blockages are most common amongst individuals who
are overweight, and are caused by things such as fat or cholesterol. As blood flow becomes
restricted, the heart muscles are weakened, and some of them may even be killed outright.
In that case, you're in very serious trouble. Heart attacks typically begin with extreme
pain in the chest, which can either come after a buildup of pressure and discomfort, or
strike completely out of nowhere. The good news is that the pain only lasts a few minutes,
because you'll be dead shortly after without immediate medical attention. If you ever
experience sudden tightness or discomfort, let alone full blown pain in your chest,
call an emergency room right away and try not to have a second heart attack when you
realize how deep in debt you'll soon be. Our next painful condition is
hereditary, and if you don’t suffer from it personally there’s a chance you
could be passing the misery on to your kids. Sickle Cell Disease We might as well stay on the theme of your
body turning against you. Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that's inherited through
your parent's genes, and results in red blood cells being grossly deformed. Instead of the nice
round shapes you'd expect red blood cells to be, sickle cells are so named because the red blood
cells become hard and form into a sickle shape. This makes it extremely difficult for the
body to get the oxygen it desperately needs, as the sickle cells are unable
to transport oxygen efficiently. Other than constant exhaustion, the pain comes
when the sickle cells die off en masse and form blockages in your arteries. Sickle cells are like
James Dean- they live very fast and die extremely young. This can cause blockages that interrupt
blood flow, leading to some serious internal pain that narcotics aren't going to do very much
to help you manage. Eventually the blockage can lead to stroke and death, making sickle
cell a deadly, and painful disorder to have. Sickle cell disease is most common amongst
people with ancestors from sub-saharan Africa, making it endemic to the black community,
though the cause is poorly understood. Our next painful experience is something everyone
will experience- if you live long enough. Arthritis Frozen shoulder sounds pretty terrible- and
painful- but what if all of your joints were being attacked at once? Rheumatoid arthritis is
a disease where the body begins to friendly fire all over the place and attack the body's joints.
First, the immune system attacks the membrane that encloses all of the joint's moving parts, causing
it to become inflamed and swollen. Over time, the immune system eats through this
membrane to attack the cartilage and bone inside of the actual joint itself. Without
that protective layer of cartilage in the joint, your bones rub together as you move,
leading to some pretty terrible pains. Regular arthritis sets in with
age, though family history, exercise, and weight can all have negative
impacts on your odds to get arthritis. Exercising regularly and keeping your weight in
check can help limit the effects of arthritis, with extra pounds putting even more pressure
on your joints and more quickly eroding the cartilage within. Currently there's no cure for
arthritis, and the best medicine can do is help lessen the pain and improve quality of life.
The next most painful thing you can experience is all too common, and can
strike anyone, at any time. Sciatica The good news about sciatica is that
it typically goes away over time, the bad news is that it can be so
painful, it's completely debilitating. The sciatica nerve travels along your spine, then
branches out from your lower back to travel down each leg. It's one of the main nerves in the
human body, which means that when something goes wrong with it, you can be sure it's
going to let you know with as much pain as it can produce- which is a lot. Typically
sciatica is caused by damage to the spine, such as a herniated disk or bone spur, or
by narrowing of the spine. This causes the sciatic nerve to become compressed, and
if there's one thing nerves don't like, it's to be messed with- it's kind of their
whole job to let you know when that happens. But what can you do when the thing bothering
your nerve is your own body? Well, not a whole lot in most cases. Only if the pain is extremely
severe will doctors consider surgery to try and relieve the pressure on the nerve. For the rest
of you, you'll have weeks of debilitating pain to look forward to as your body naturally heals.
Just try not to sneeze if you develop sciatica, as we have it on good authority that a
sudden, violent sneeze will quickly send you into Hellraiser-level depths of agony.
Our next condition can also strike anyone, at any time, but unlike sciatica,
it can be absolutely deadly. Appendicitis Mother nature wants to remind you that she hates
you, and that's why she's put a ticking time bomb in your body. The appendix, an organ who's
purpose is still unclear and some doctors suspect is an evolutionary left-over, is home to lots and
lots of bacteria. Most of that bacteria we know are there to aid in digestion, and a new theory
states that the appendix is meant to be a home of sort for these bacteria. A place where they
can hang their hat after a tough 12 hour shift in your colon, helping digest and process your
food. Sure, an appendix may not be an impressive place to live, but don't judge these bacteria too
quickly- their job is pretty crappy after all. Problems occur when bacteria
multiply out of control, leading to a blockage and an infection.
The appendix quickly becomes inflamed, and swells up as it fills with pus.
If you don't get treatment right away, the appendix will burst, spreading the infection
throughout your body and potentially killing you. Treatments are highly effective, as in most cases
doctors simply have to remove the appendix before it bursts. If you begin to have pain that starts
at your navel and then moves around the abdominal area, you should definitely see a doctor right
away. On par with a kidney stone, appendicitis is completely debilitating, and can feel like a horse
kicking you repeatedly and non-stop on the side. Famously, a Soviet surgeon on a trip to Antarctica
had to perform a self-appendectomy to save his own life, using only mirrors so he could see what
he was doing and absolutely zero pain killers. Appendicitis is easily resolved if caught
early, though if the appendix does burst treatment will include removal of the appendix
and power washing of your intestines so you don't end up dying to the secondary infection-
which we imagine is also rather unpleasant. Our next most painful thing you can
experience is as savage as it is deadly- warning, very graphic imagery ahead. Chimpanzee Attack We've covered plenty of ways your body can
betray you in this episode, but we thought we'd end with one of the most painful things you
can experience that doesn't come from within. Chimps- they're adorable. They're like small
humans, and who doesn't love to see a chimp dressed up in a business suit with a fake
cigar, pretending to be a real person? Well, turns out the chimps don't always love
to play make-believe, and sometimes we forget that chimps are wild animals who are
several times stronger than the average human. Chimpanzee attacks are brutal, and it's
our official stance on the Infographics show that chimps- along with jellyfish- are
the biggest a-holes in the animal kingdom. Hear us out. While much stronger than
a human, a chimpanzee could easily kill a person- but evolution has given them
an entirely different battle strategy. Instead of killing, in the wild chimpanzees often
try to disfigure and dismember rivals, and because evolution is all about reproduction, one of
the first targets chimps go for is the groin. In 2005, a couple was visiting their pet
chimpanzee they had to house at the Animal Haven Ranch in Caliente, California, after the
chimp bit off part of a woman's finger- already a red flag if we've ever seen one. While at the
sanctuary, four other chimps escaped their cages, and two male chimps charged at the
couple. The woman lost her thumb, but her husband bravely managed to hold the
chimps’ attention so she could find safety, though paid for it dearly. He ended up having
his genitals mutilated, had a foot torn off, had severe damage to his face resulting in the
loss of one eye, most of one cheek, and part of his nose, as well as having part of his buttocks
bitten and ripped off by the attacking chimps. In 2009, a woman was attacked by
her friend's pet chimp. The chimp tore off both of her hands and completely
mauled her face (use second image down at https://www.the-sun.com/news/870352/horror-injuries-woman-face-hands-ripped-pet-chimp/, credit to associated press). The chimp
attacked responding police officers, cornering one cop in his car as he opened
fire point blank, killing the crazed animal. It's not just domestic chimps attacking people
however. In Uganda, chimpanzees suffering from habitat loss due to farming have begun fighting
back- in completely horrendous ways. In 2014 a chimpanzee snatched a toddler from its mother,
broke off its arm, and mauled the child so badly he died on the way to a hospital. As chimps are
finding it more and more difficult to find food in the wild, they've resorted to raiding farms
and villages, with disastrous consequences for the Ugandans who live there. Much like in the
wild, the chimps seem to be attacking infants, with infanticide being an evolutionary survival
technique ingrained into chimps. If you deny your rivals their children after all, then
there'll be no future competition for resources. Having our most sensitive body
parts ripped apart by pure ape fury sounds like one of the worst things
a human can experience to us. Now go check out Most Painful Things A Human Can
Experience- or click this other video instead!
