It is said that redheads need more anesthesia and experience more pain than blondes and brunettes. But is it an urban legend? No! Redheads do experience more pain and need more anesthesia.
“Redheads do experience more pain,” says Dr. Daniel Sessler on the How to be a Redhead podcast. He’s a world-renowned researcher and anesthesiologist. He was quoted in the 2009 New York Times article, “Pain of Being a Redhead”. He extensively studied redheads and concluded redheads DO experience more pain than most and DO need more anesthesia!
On Season 2, Episode 13 of the How to be a Redhead podcast, Dr. Sessler gives important medical knowledge for all natural-born redheads. It’s a must-listen. You can listen on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. It was a truly fascinating conversation.
About Dr. Sessler: He attended medical school at Columbia University and subsequently completed pediatric and anesthesia residencies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is chair and founder of the Department of Outcomes Research at Cleveland Clinic. Outcomes Research currently coordinates more than a hundred studies, including a dozen large, multi-center outcome trials. His papers have been cited more than 25,000 times.
READ: 13 Astounding Facts About Redheads
Dr. Sessler answers the following questions:
1. You began studying a redhead’s sensitivity to pain after hearing chatter from colleagues. Urban legends say redheads have trouble with needing more anesthesia and are more sensitive to pain, specifically at the dentist. Can you share with our audience about your initial interest in the topic?
2. Your interest in a redhead’s sensitivity to pain led to two studies. What did these studies show? What were your findings? Were you surprised by the outcome?
3. So…redheads really do require more anesthesia! Wow! How much more? Does it depend on the procedure?
4. Did you hear from a lot of redheads once your findings were released to the public?
5. Can you confirm, from your studies, that redheads needing more anesthesia and experiencing more pain is NOT an urban legend — it is real?
LISTEN TO EPISODE 13 OF SEASON 2 DIRECTLY BELOW OR CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON ITUNES. YOU CAN ALSO SEARCH FOR US WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS:
What has been your experience with pain? Have you ever needed more anesthesia? Comment below + Rock it like a Redhead!
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