Tuesday, September 01, 2009

The Pain of Being a Redhead

Do redheads feel more pain?

According to this article, The Pain of Being a Redhead , there may now be scientific evidence to prove it is so.

Nobody likes going to the dentist, but redheads may have good reason.

A growing body of research shows that people with red hair need larger doses of anesthesia and often are resistant to local pain blockers like Novocaine. As a result, redheads tend to be particularly nervous about dental procedures and are twice as likely to avoid going to the dentist as people with other hair colors, according to new research published in The Journal of the American Dental Association.



I am a redhead and avoid trips to the dentist. Dental work is torture. Really, I would rather be water boarded! Just sit me in a dentist chair, turn on the drill and I will give away any secret! Where are the weapons of mass destruction? I don't know, but I could make up a very convincing story if it would avoid having my teeth touched! Where is Osama hiding? I will personally go out and look through every cave until he is found if you just don't come near me with the drill!

What a relief to finally hear from someone that my pain and dread is founded on truth. Whew! I mean, I have given birth without pain medications, its not that I can't handle pain, its just that
it is very hard to be told by a dentist, or doctor, that you are imagining the pain. After 6 Novocaine shots it is impossible for anyone to still feel the pain, or so they say!

Dr. Daniel I. Sessler, an anesthesiologist and chairman of the department of outcomes research at the Cleveland Clinic, said he began studying hair color after hearing so many colleagues speculate about redheads requiring more anesthesia.

“The reason we studied redheads in the beginning, it was essentially an urban legend in the anesthesia community saying redheads were difficult to anesthetize,” Dr. Sessler said. “This was so intriguing we went ahead and studied it. Redheads really do require more anesthesia, and by a clinically important amount.”



I once had to have a toe nail removed and was given a nerve block...whatever! I felt it all and next time I'll forgo the shots as they hurt as much as having the nail ripped off and the stitches put in. I also awoke during a surgery once. It seems I scared the doctors to death. I did not enjoy it either!

“Because they’re resistant, many redheads have had bad experiences,” Dr. Sessler said. “If they go to the dentist or have a cut sutured, they’ll need more local anesthetic than other people.”

Any other redheads that can identify with this report?

17 comments:

Betty W said...

You have to take this article with you, next time you go to the dentist. That is amazing, you woke in a surgery??!! That must have been horrifying!!

Always On Watch said...

Redheads suffer more in the dentist's chair? I didn't know that.

This detail explains why I suffer so much at the dentist's office and, consequently, hate going. I'm originally a redhead, though you can't tell, now that I'm a blond out of the bottle. LOL. It was either change my natural hair color or go around sporting a head almostly completely gray.

Brenda said...

That is such a bummer about redheads and pain! Although I would take pain over nausea most days. . . .

MightyMom said...

I don't know about the pain thing...but I do know that redheads bleed more.

Unknown said...

You're hilarious! Informative post though!

LadyFi said...

I must be a red head at heart, as there is no one - I stress no one - who can feel more pain than I do at the dentist!

CrimeSceneFairy said...

Hehe, when you said the part about being in a dentists' chair and giving away any secret it reminded me of a Monk episode where he almost gets tortured by a killer dentist. it was hilarious...

J.H said...

that's impressive and funny at the same time. This give me an idea to find interesting finding for people with black head :P :P :P

Rita Loca said...

Betty, I think i will! I'll have to translate it into German for my dentist here.

AOW, You are a red head and I never knew! It makes sense tho, with your attitude and all!

Brenda, I can imagine it is very debilitating.

MM, really? I didn't know that.

Pam, As long as I make you laugh!

Lady Fi, I feel your pain!

Zazz, I love that episode!

JH, Let me know what you find out!

The Local Malcontent said...

I have a pocketknife with me--

NOW Go Find Bin Laden~!

(cute post, JMom)

firepig said...

I am curious about this one.Will say that there are big differences in dentists.Some cause more pain , some cause less.

Dentists don't bother me that much, and I am a natural blond-However I can hardly stand stomach pain of any kind.Wonder if that's a blond thing?

Debbie said...

Well, there you go! Proof at last.

Charles said...

There you have it. An answer. As Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau( the Peter Sellers version) would say, "The Caze is now solv-Ed"

Now maybe all researchers can (please) turn all attention to the question, " Do blondes really have more fun"

Kathy said...

I did hear that too, but never talked to any redheads I know about it. I just know I hate to go to the dentist too! :) Hope you don't need any more surgery and that you don't have any more cavities! :)

Anonymous said...

I'll have to ask Dianne about this tonight!

Unknown said...

It just seems fair to me. Redheads can cause a lot of pain too.

HTOITA

IglesiasNuevas said...

That was a painful start to my day!!