Swearing can provide effective relief from pain - but not if people swear many times a day, according to research.

Experts found swearing helped people cope with pain in the short-term but the frequency of swearing played an important role.

Researchers at Keele University's School of Psychology recruited 71 undergraduates who were asked to carry out a cold-water challenge while either repeating a swear word or a non-swear word.

The students put their hand in room temperature water for three minutes to act as a control before plunging it into cold 5C water for as long as they could while repeating their word.

The level of perceived pain together with a change in heart rate were compared while people swore or said their non-swear word.