Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Describe The Worst Physical Pain They've Ever Been In

People Describe The Worst Physical Pain They've Ever Been In
Image by VSRao from Pixabay

The body is built for pain. That is what I've been told. "No pain, no gain!" Remember that catchphrase? Well... it's all madness and lies.

Pain sucks, that's why it's called pain. It's not called joy. Physical pain can be debilitating. The body is strong but it is also sensitive.

And when physical trauma happens, you don't forget quickly.

Redditor u/ameli3ee felt like chatting about what our bodies have survived, by asking:

What was the worst (physical) pain you've been through?

The worst pain ever? A toe stub. Why is that? I tell you, I have been blinded and near passed out due to toe pain. Such a small part of the body riddled with immense trauma. This little piggy...

Stoned...

GIF by World Kidney DayGiphy

"First kidney stone. Pain was so sharp and intense I could imagine a knife sticking out of my kidney."

- HoosegowFlask

The Eyes have It

"I got shot in the eye with an airsoft gun at about 350 FPS and I went blind in my left eye for a while, I developed traumatic glaucoma and the pressure from the glaucoma was indescribable, I could barely walk or speak. There's pics of my eye on my profile for any of you that wanna take a gander. Some context since some of y'all are askin' I was at an airsoft arena with eye protection and a face shield."

"Somehow the bb managed to hit me in the eye even with the eye pro (how? Idk I wish I could tell ya) theory is it bounced off my face shield and somehow went under the eye pro but who knows. I'm not blind anymore but I do have an implant that keeps the pressure down and I have a synthetic lens so I can see."

- clash8920

Lungs

"Pleurisy. Inflammation of the outer lining of the lungs. Causes each intake of breath, however slight, to feel like my ribs have been sharpened into swords that are impaling my chest. I've had it a few times and would constantly faint because I subconsciously wasn't breathing."

- darthymacdougall

The Foot

"When my foot got torn off in an accident. In 2004 while riding my motorcycle I was hit from the side and my foot got torn off in the incident. I was lucky the doctors were exceptionally good and were able to reattach the foot, but to this day the number of steps each day I can take are finite before it starts hurting like hell."

- RudolphDiesel

The Jump

Odd Future Jump GIF by JASPER & ERROL'S FIRST TIMEGiphy

"Jumping off a high dive and missing the pool. Horrifying injuries ensued."

- TapoutKing666

I could faint from everything I've heard so far. I never dive, and now I never will. And a foot torn off? What?!

We need "D"

drag race drugs GIFGiphy

"If your body runs out of vitamin D, you'll wanna die. Especially if you don't know that's what's causing it at first."

- Aloha1959

After the Poop

"I used to get hemorrhoids that would get so big that they would eventually burst and bleed for days. That was painful, and it was literally nothing compared to the recovery of the hemorrhoidectomy. Taking a crap after surgery is like literal hell on earth. Fun fact opiates cause constipation, so that's a super fun rope to balance on."

"Even though I took prescription stool softener to the point that they were the consistency of mud, they felt like I was passing jagged rock hard glass. After every poop, I would very carefully wipe as best as I could, and then shakily get in the shower so I could fully clean myself to prevent infection."

"After I was clean I would run a bath and try not to weep. The first week was so bad, I'd be starving and terrified to eat. After the first week every poop hurt to the point where I could just grit my teeth and grunt through it. They didn't fully quit being painful for about 2 months."

- FnCraig

In Hindsight...

"I'm a weak little coward who's lived a soft life so the only excruciating pain I've been through was a 10 hour period of kidney stones. I had no idea what was going on when it started, so I thought an internal organ had burst and I was dying. I've never had something be so painful for every single second I went through it. After about 9-10 hours I finally went to the er (hindsight I thought about going an hour into it, but I kept talking myself out of it) 10/10 would not recommend."

- gsdagaw91

Razor Thin

"Trying to poop after having a baby, with an almost 3rd degree internal tear. I'm fairly sure I ripped some stitches getting out of my car (she left the suture string hanging out and I didn't know) the day after I was discharged. It was like someone was ripping me in half from my butt."

"It wasn't the pushing that hurt, it was when everything retracts back up after going. Second most painful thing I've ever had was mono. My throat felt like razor blades and I couldn't even swallow water. (These statements from someone who has had two babies and was impaled in the leg on a metal bar from a car frame lol)."

- soupster5

Poor Feet

Boiling Hot Water GIF by BrewDogGiphy

"Had boiling water dropped on my bare feet. And then about a week later my dog stepped on one of my feet and because it was all blistered up it tore much of the skin right off of it."

- BiggCheese021

Now I'm going to have nightmares. And I'm going to try to live in a bubble. In my house. I will only use cold water and walk slowly.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Donald Trump holding World Cup
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Makes Eyeroll-Worthy Request After Getting To Hold 2026 World Cup Trophy—And It's Peak Trump

President Donald Trump was a little too eager to keep the FIFA World Cup trophy to himself after being allowed to hold it in the White House.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with the trophy during an Oval Office press conference Friday, where the two also announced that the draw for the 2026 World Cup—to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—will take place on December 5.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud About His Militarization Of U.S. Cities With Remark About 'Dictators'

President Donald Trump was criticized for a brazen claim that Americans would actually "like a dictator" before assuring reporters that he's not one in an attempt to justify his use of military troops as part of his nationwide crime crackdown that saw him most recently put boots on the ground in Washington, D.C.

Trump—who is currently planning to send troops into Chicago—said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy Mace
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Nancy Mace Blasted After Falsely Accusing Student With Umbrella Of Being Active School Shooter

South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was harshly criticized for not issuing an apology after spreading the image of an "active shooter" on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia who turned out to be holding an umbrella.

The university lifted a shelter-in-place order Sunday after police found no evidence to support reports of an active shooter near the campus library.

Keep ReadingShow less
Picture of a traditional, American house. It is white with red trim and a green roof.
Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

People Divulge The Common Things That Were Banned At Home While Growing Up

When growing up with our parents, it's all about following the rules.

The House Rules, specifically, their rules!

Keep ReadingShow less
Daniel Dae Kim at the "Butterfly" New York Premiere held at Regal Union Square on August 05, 2025, in New York.
Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

Daniel Day Kim ignites debate on casting

Daniel Dae Kim has spent years quietly—sometimes loudly—dragging Hollywood for the double standards Asian American actors face. The Lost and Hawaii Five-0 alum sat down with PBS’ American Masters and was asked about ethnic-specific casting.

His answer? A masterclass in being gracious while also side-eyeing an entire industry.

Keep ReadingShow less