British anesthetist Jaideep Pandit explained why people with red hair have an increased sensitivity to pain, especially associated with temperature.
According to Live Science, shades of red hair color are caused by a recessive gene called melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R). Interestingly, for the appearance of red offspring, both parents must be carriers of the MC1R gene.
One of the characteristics that redheads often have is being left-handed. It is also a recessive trait that affects about 10-12 percent of the world’s population. However, recessive traits usually occur in pairs, which explains why many redheads are also left-handed.
It was also noted that red-haired people are more often considered attractive, and men are less likely to have prostate pathologies. However, their skin is too sensitive to sunlight, so special attention to protection from ultraviolet rays is necessary.
According to Live Science, another important characteristic of redheads is their increased need for anesthesia, about 20 percent more than others, to remain sedated during surgery.
This applies not only to general anesthesia, but also to local anesthesia, which also requires a lot of effort for such patients. Several studies show that redheads also exhibit higher sensitivity to opioid analgesics.
As for the reasons for such features, scientists point to mutations in the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene, which is responsible for the pigmentation of hair, skin and eyes, as the main source of deviations in the pain threshold.
2024-02-24 16:11:00
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