October 15, 2002


Then there's me.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Redheads may actually have another trait that makes them stand out -- sensitivity to pain, specialists reported on Tuesday.

People with natural red hair need about 20 percent more anesthesia than people with other hair colors, they told a meeting of anesthesiologists. The unexpected finding not only suggests that redheads are more sensitive to pain, but offers insights into how anesthesia works in people.

Dr. Edwin Liem of the University of Louisville in Kentucky said "In a nutshell, redheads are likely to experience more pain from a given stimulus and therefore require more anesthesia to alleviate that pain."

In my case, I think the pain receptors were connected to bullshit circuits . Either that or my 'given stimulus' = CNN.

Fun Fact:
A few years ago I had surgery done in my nose to scrape out a bunch of polyps (under local anaesthesia!) that were making it impossible to breathe. After the operation, my mom drove me to the pharmacy to pick up my pain meds, and while I waited in the car for her I suddenly felt sick. The combination of the stress, the local, and all the blood and mucus running down my throat caused me to violently hurl buckets of gory slime in the parking lot - right across from the huge picture windows of the dining area of the neighborhood IHOP.

I've never been so proud of myself as I was that moment.



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