we want to talk to you about a disease as interesting as it is infrequent. So much so that there is one case for every million people: insensitivity to pain. What is the emergence of pain sensitivity ? Why happens?
Those who suffer from it do so from birth and do not feel physical pain in any part of their body even when they are injured or suffer serious accidents. But not all is good news: emotional pain remains intact in these cases.
Would you like not to feel pain when you fall or burn? Don’t reply until you read the article, because insensitivity to pain can turn out to be poisoned candy. This disease has caused terror for many years. Keep reading and we will tell you what it is and why this strange condition of not feeling physical pain occurs.
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Index
- What is insensitivity to pain
- Consequences of insensitivity to pain
- Symptoms of insensitivity to pain
- Why are there people who do not feel pain?
- Is not feeling pain a disease?
What is insensitivity to pain
The insensitivity to pain , also called analgesia congenital , is a condition that occurs from birth. The sufferer does not feel physical pain even when a bone is broken or seriously injured. As for the temperature, if there is no significant alteration, they can perfectly differentiate between hot and cold and yet they are unable to notice when something is too hot and burns them, with the danger that this entails.
From a superficial point of view, it might seem that congenital analgesia is a blessing, because who wouldn’t wish they didn’t feel a toothache or the pain of a fracture? It’s like it’s a super power that we all wish we had. But behind that fantasy there are many serious dangers.
Consequences of insensitivity to pain
Taking into account that pain is a response of our body to something that hurts us and, in general, a warning sign that something is wrong, what happens when there is no pain? Well, we have no way of knowing that we are in danger.
Therefore, a person who does not feel pain does not know that they have suffered a serious injury, that they have bitten their tongue when chewing, that they have a tooth infection or that the tea burns when they take a sip. And this is what usually happens in patients with that condition. On the one hand, they are more prone to accidents . And on the other, they may be seriously injured and not realize it. In fact, life expectancy is very low in these cases for that reason.
And the thing does not stop there. So far we have talked about young people or adults who do not notice when something hurts. From a certain age, this can be compensated by taking extreme precautions, being informed or having frequent medical examinations. But, the greatest danger is in babies . A baby already has difficulty communicating that something is bothering or hurting her until she begins to speak, but if it does not hurt because she has congenital analgesia, it is practically impossible to know that something is causing harm to her body. So much so that there are many cases in which children have wounds on the tongue or hands when their teeth begin to emerge.
Symptoms of insensitivity to pain
Insensitivity to pain is difficult to detect until uncomplained wounds accumulate. The most difficult thing in this case is the diagnosis to a baby or a child. However, there are some symptoms that can alert us to this unusual condition:
- Loss of smellin some cases.
- Absence of pain in theface of stimuli that usually produce it.
- Frequent wounds, bruises, broken
- Wounds to the mouthor tongue from burns or bites.
- Wounds caused by their own bitesin children (fingers, hands, mouth).
So far there is no official protocol for diagnosis, but if there are suspicions of the presence of congenital analgesia, a professional will take a detailed history of the patient that includes everything related to wounds and injuries. A physical examination to check on the one hand the insensitivity to pain and on the other the severity of the wounds or injuries that may present at that time. A skin biopsy and genetic test to check for a mutation in the genes that may be affected.
Why are there people who do not feel pain?
What is the cause of the disappearance of pain sensitivity? As has been proven, in this pain-free disease, there are mutations in several genes. In most cases, the cause of congenital insensitivity to pain is mutations in the SCN9A gene or the NTRK1 gene . In some cases, the mutations occur in the PRDM12 gene . In rare cases, the disease can be caused by mutations in the CLTCL1 gene , the NGF gene , or the SCN11A gene .
The insensitivity to pain affects a part of our body related to touch, pain and smell. That is why those who suffer from it, in addition to not feeling pain, may see their sense of smell and the perception of temperature altered in some cases. The production of sweat or tears can also be altered.
Is not feeling pain a disease?
Indeed, insensitivity to pain is considered a disease in that it is “an alteration of the normal functioning of an organism or one of its parts.” It is part of a group of diseases called hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies .
Although it is considered a disease, there is no specific treatment to alleviate or reverse it and achieve pain. The treatment then focuses on the symptoms (the wounds suffered by the patient) and the prevention of these, paying special attention to:
- Tooth care: prevent cavities, good oral hygiene, smooth edges and extraction in some cases.
- Eye care: especially if the ability to produce tears is affected.
- Skin care: hydration, infection prevention, wound disinfection.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
