We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Conditions

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Congenital Insensitivity to Pain?

By M.R. Anglin
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 8,542
Share

The purpose of pain is to protect us from harming ourselves. When a person puts his hand on a hot stove, usually his first response is to yank that hand away. People with congenital insensitivity to pain do not feel pain. This means that a person with the disorder may not remove his hand from a hot stove because he does not feel the pain of his hand burning. This can lead to severe problems.

Although it is thoroughly unpleasant, pain is meant to teach us to stay away from dangerous items or situations. Pain can also be an indicator of a bigger problem in our bodies, such as cancer or a broken bone. A person with congenital insensitivity to pain has never felt pain and he never will. He can go through his whole life hurting himself and may never even know it. Medical treatment for people with congenital insensitivity to pain can be difficult as many times doctors make diagnoses partially depending on the location and severity of pain.

Congenital insensitivity to pain is a disorder that affects the part of the body that controls the reception of pain. The nerves that sense pain cannot translate that information to the brain, and so the person does not feel even the slightest bit of discomfort. This condition is congenital, meaning it is present at birth. Thus, a baby with congenital insensitivity to pain may be severely hurt, but will seem like a happy child.

A child with this conditione is in extreme danger. If we bite our tongue, for instance, we stop biting it because it hurts. A child with congenital insensitivity to pain will not stop because he does not know he is hurting himself. Such a child may play with the stove, pull out his hair, electrocute himself or play too roughly and harm himself because there is no negative stimuli telling him to stop. This can lead to severe problems and devastating injuries.

Another form of congenital insensitivity to pain is called congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis. It is characterized by a person not being able to feel pain or extreme temperatures, and by being unable to sweat. Such a person may not know that he is too hot or too cold. In addition, without being able to sweat, a person cannot properly regulate his body temperature. No sweat means that the body is not able to properly cool itself, and the person could overheat.

Although congenital insensitivity to pain is rare, it is serious. Usually, people with the disorder do not live past age 25. Without the ability to experience pain, people can break their bones, burn themselves or contract serious illnesses without ever knowing that something is wrong with their body. Thus, they may develop serious infections or diseases that could have been avoided had they sought medical help earlier.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-congenital-insensitivity-to-pain.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.