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Raynaud's Syndrome and Redheads
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Raynaud's Syndrome and Redheads Scary, as my lovely spouse is affectionately called, has the coldest *$*#(*# hands. I had an abcessed tooth, and her hands were cold enough that I could actually get a modicum of relief by pressing her cold hand against my cheek.
Cold hands can be one indication of Raynaud's Syndrome, and guess what? Redheads are more likely to have this syndrome. Odd that the women who traditionally have the most fire can also have cold hands and feet ... maybe all that heat goes someplace else!
Redheads can be more susceptible to another medical issue - a higher tolerance for pain.
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh announced a mutation that disables the melanocortin-1 gene which, in women only, leads to red hair and a higher tolerance for pain. Normally, the melanocortin-1 gene produces a protein that reduces the efficacy of opiate drugs, but without a functional gene, natural and artificial painkillers appear to induce a three-fold stronger effect in redheaded women.
“It does appear that redheads have a significantly different pain threshold and require less anaesthetic to block out certain pains,” Professor Ian Jackson of the Medical Research Council’s Human Genetics Unit, said."
Well, Scary certainly has a high pain threshold (she almost slept through her first labor), but I disagree about the "less anaesthetic" requirement theory. Scary has come to during surgery and requires 2 or 3 times the normal dosing of anaesthetic.
Tags: Cold Redhead Disease Numbness Raynaud's Syndrome
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