Pain, the concentration killer

When pain sets in, you might as well just sit or lay down and do nothing. Well, nothing that takes thinking intently or paying attention, anyway. A new study concluded that pain indeed can override a sufferer's ability to concentrate.

In addition to throwing concentration out the window, pain makes it much more difficult to recognize images as well. In other words, sight is affected. From soldiers on the battlefield to the bike rider who winces while catching up to the race leader, the loss of the ability to recognize images is a biggie when it comes to pain management.

When pain happens, what can you do? Taking mild over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen or ibuprofen helps millions a day stay away from pain, but with chronic pain, more medical assistance seems needed. That is, unless you don't need to think or process images you see.