Britain has become a nation of people who rely heavily on painkillers to cope with every kind of discomfort, a new study has concluded.

University of Essex sociologist professor Joan Busfield stated in her report published in the journal Social Science & Medicine - A Pill for Every Ill - that Britons are now abandoning traditional attitudes of stoicism in favour of more medicine.

She commented: "I think drugs are being overused. The population is getting healthier and healthier, longevity is increasing, but we are using more and more drugs."

Professor Busfield blamed this shift on the pharmaceutical industry, which has been "disease-mongering" in a bid to boost sales and profits.

Those suffering genuine pain and keen on finding alternatives to taking more pills may wish to try using a mobile ultrasound device instead.

Not everyone has agreed with Professor Busfield, with one case being Daily Telegraph columnist Cristina Odone, who argued that producing modern medicines to ease pain are "what science is for".