Eye color isn’t just for looks anymore. If someone told you they could tell you how well you handle pain based on your eye color would you believe them, or would you be skeptical? Preliminary research is suggesting that these people may be right. But what does this mean for cancer patients?
Pain management is an important part of treatment because having cancer is already painful enough. Enduring treatments that are more painful than they have to be is something that more doctors are taking precautions against, and eye color may help in deciding what treatment options to go with. It is simply just another biomarker along with other factors that can influence pain management therapies and offer customized options based on patient needs.
Did you know that people with red hair are resistant to anesthesia and require more during certain procedures? A recent study of eye color compared the pain tolerance and effect of an epidural during childbirth among 60 white pregnant women. 26 had dark-colored eyes (brown or hazel) while 34 had light colored eyes (blue or green).
In the new study of eye color, researchers compared pain tolerance and the effect of an epidural during childbirth among a group of 58 white pregnant women—24 with dark-colored eyes (brown or hazel) and 34 with light-colored eyes (blue or green). Studies are still ongoing to determine if race plays a part in determining if eye color can show pain tolerance.
According to the study, the results are below.
The women with light-colored eyes experienced less post-partum anxiety and depression, and tolerated pain better during childbirth. The women with dark-colored eyes had a higher sensitivity to pain, as a result of the greater reduction in pain with an epidural. They also experienced a 60% reduction in pain at rest with the epidural and 55% reduction during movement.
The results show that colored eyes show a higher tolerance to pain, however before we draw definitive conclusions research is still ongoing. The link between pain and eye color among women who are not pregnant, men and children and those who have cancer and do not need to be tested before we can positively say that eye color is a direct link to determining the level of pain tolerance a person can withstand.
Eye color as a genetic biomarker could give more practical approaches to treatment and streamline the process for many patients. It may even help eliminate unnecessary treatments and give patients a better experience at their treatment centers. If clinicians can recognize these biomarkers instantly, imagine the benefit to patients. Improved quality of life, pain relief and ultimately a positive experience are worth the time and money it takes to conduct the study to help these patients in the long run.
The human body is fascinating, and determining the biomarkers that may help patients in treatment and recovery is just one of the many ways that genetics can determine how the body handles pain, reacts to treatment and a plethora of other benefits.