Redheads have a higher pain threshold than other people: scientists

People with naturally red hair are in the minority on the planet. Their number does not even reach 2%. But the uniqueness of redheads is not only in this.

Scientists have found that people with fiery hair color perceive pain differently than brunettes, brown-haired, fair-haired and blondes.

It’s all about the genes

Hair color and skin tone are determined by the amount of melanin, a special pigment that melanocytes are responsible for producing in the human body. The color type of a person is laid down at the stage of intrauterine development, based on the set of genes inherited by the child from the parents. However, as it turned out, melanocytes in redheads are somewhat different from the same cells in the bodies of people with a different shade of hair.

Melanocytes on their surface have receptors that respond to MSH – melanocyte-stimulating hormones that activate the production of melanins and, as a result, darken hair and skin. There are 5 types of such receptors, and each of them is endowed with specific functions. But as it turned out, in people with red hair and white skin, type 1 receptors (MCXNUMXR) are inactive. As a result of this mutation, redheads do not produce dark pigment, so their skin is unable to tan. However, these genetic mutations affected not only the color of the hair, but also affected some other features of the organisms of red-haired people.

Pain and the nervous system

Red-haired people are less amenable to anesthesia. Professionals know that they usually need a higher dose of anesthetic ^[1]. But besides this, researchers from the Massachusetts Hospital (USA) noticed that people with red hair endure pain more easily than others. Scientists undertook to find out what caused this. The conclusions reached by the experts were published in the respected scientific publication Science Advance. ^[2].

The object of analysis for scientists were mice with red hair. In these rodents, as in humans with copper hair, the researchers found inactive type XNUMX MSH receptors. This suggested that the perception of pain in a mouse and a person with red hair occurs in an identical pattern.

During the study, it was found that when MC1R is inactive, less pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is produced in animals. The importance of this peptide is indicated by the fact that it is split into several hormones as a result of complex biochemical processes. Some of them are responsible for susceptibility to pain, others for blocking it.

The mechanism of perception of pain by the human body is quite complex. Hormones produced by melanocytes stabilize the sensitivity to pain. In addition to them, two more groups of receptors are involved in the process:

• the fourth type – increase sensitivity to pain;
• opioid – responsible for the suppression of pain.

Working in combination, these receptors allow a person to achieve a balance between excessively high susceptibility and complete immunity to pain.

However, in the organisms of people with red hair, this scheme works with some deviations. Due to the lack of a pain-stabilizing hormone, opioid receptors are the first to be activated in the bodies of redheads, which simply “muffle” the pain. Against the background of the absence of type XNUMX receptors, this leads to a modification of the perception of pain and an increase in the pain threshold.

Some interesting facts about redhead pain perception

Research on pain perception in redheads has shown that:

• for effective anesthesia, they need about 20% more anesthetic than other patients;
• for local anesthesia, redheads need a higher dose of drugs, such as novocaine and lidocaine;
• For pain relief with opioids, redheads need lower dosages than other people;
• redheads are less susceptible to electric shock, needle pricks;
• redheads easily recognize temperature changes ^[1].

Why is the discovery of Massachusetts researchers useful?

Now that specialists have a clear understanding of how redheads perceive pain, doctors can more accurately determine the amount of pain medication needed, as well as what manipulations the patient can tolerate with minimal discomfort.

In addition, the results obtained can be very useful in the field of pharmacology. For example, based on this knowledge, it is possible to develop a new generation of painkillers, the mechanism of action of which is to block the activity of MSH receptors. By the way, now the most effective painkillers are drugs that stimulate opioid receptors. But such analgesics have a significant disadvantage – they are addictive and withdrawal syndrome.

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