Pedia Pain Focus: #89. The Pain of Being a Redhead

#89. The Pain of Being a Redhead

Dec 4, 2021

Did you know that redheads can tolerate more spicy foods than those with dark hair?

This is supported by biology and genetics.

Ask any anesthesiologist or a dentist and they'll tell you - often with a sigh, I might add - that taking care of redhead is can be challenging!

The issue of pain perception, tolerance, response to pain and response to different classes of medications is a complicated and murky one when it comes to people with natural red hair.

Join me in this episode to learn about the evidence we have for complexity of pain and its management in redheads, recent emerging evidence that explains why and more importantly how to effectively navigate this complexity, ensuring safe and effective care of these patients.

Takeaways in This Episode

When an anesthesiologist or a dentist see a redhead
Why redheads have more dental problems and toothaches
Why redheads sometimes need more pain medications and at other times need less
Variability in pain responses amongst redheads
The redhead gene and its implications
Do redhead really tolerate more spicy foods than others?
Do they bleed more compared to others with darker hair?
Recent study providing insights about the genetics and reasons for differences in their pain perception, responses and treatments
What do Melanocortin, MC1R, MC4R have to do with pain
How you reconcile the different, complex and sometimes murky findings and provide safe and effective pain care for redheads