Geek Habitat

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare genetic disorder that makes a person incapable of feeling pain. On the surface, that sounds great — no headaches, none of that awful run-down feeling when you’re ill, painless dental visits and cheerfully accepted injections.

However, the reality is pain is a powerful teacher. Early on, we learn not to touch the stove or a container from the microwave. Similarly, we learn that sucking on an ice cube can go from fun to agonizing in a moment. We form our understanding of our own body’s limits based on the messages it sends us, many of which are based on pain receptors and our brain’s ability to recognize pain signals and instinctively react. Accidentally looked at the sun too long before? Your pupils will contract to their smallest size and you’ll instinctively squint your eyes and turn away. Why? It actually hurts, and your body reacts to that pain immediately. What if that was never there, or taken away — how would you be safe?

Just some food for thought. I can’t imagine how to raise a child that’s incapable of sensing pain, and thus incapable of reacting to it. Thankfully, the child in the article is 5 years old — she’s made it through some of the most harrowing years for her parents, since now she can use her other senses and her knowledge to start avoiding things that are likely to result in injury.

Still… try and think of how long it’s been since you hurt yourself in some minor way — a papercut, a stubbed toe, a scratch from your pet cat or dog, a bruise from running into something, a blister from too much friction… (if you’re like me, one of these happens at least once a week!) But without a natural defense mechanism — pain and the instictive pulling away from that pain, whenever possible — think how much different life might be?