Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The signal system that communicates diseases: The Sense of Pain

Pain is a vital part of the body's defense system. This sense points
that a condition has formed that may negatively affect the health of
the body , institutes precautions against this and helps decrease the
physical defects that may occur in the body. However, if a person is
feeling pain in any condition, a precaution to eliminate the pain is
taken and in this way the harm caused to the body is prevented. For
example, a person whose hand is burned with hot water prevents his
skin from being injured by pulling his hand away with the pain caused
by burning; in the case of the pain being continued he takes
protective precautions using medical methods. Or he can go to the
doctor due to pain andthe doctor may detect a disease that can cause
serious troubles before thedisease is fully developed.
Even though aches and the sense of pain are very disturbing feelings,
if Almighty Allah had not given us this sense, the body would not
react to situations like aches and pain and even greater health
problems could form. The fact, which reminds that this feeling isin
truth a great blessing, isa disease called "congenital analgesia "
defined as insensitivity to pain.
As Almighty Allah reveals in the verse "…It may be that you hate
something when it is good for you and it may be that you love
something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know."
(Surat al-Baqara, 216), the sense of pain, which seems like a bad
thing andwhich most people find disturbing , is actually a great good
for people contrary to popular belief.
Lack of a Sense of Pain isa Serious Disease
The disease of insensitivityto pain called "congenital analgesia" is
the conditionof not feeling physical pain that comes from external
stimuli . These people do possess the senses of touch and sensation,
but the brain and nervous system distorts information flow in a way
as if filtered, and prevents the body from reacting to situations such
as temperature changes and injury. This situation isone of the best
examples that Almighty Allah creates every system in our body with
perfection.
A defect in the communication of the nervous system may causeserious
problems. However, as in this diseasea signal about pain is not
communicated to the brain, pain is not felt and in some cases, the
pain is felt, but the source of pain in the body cannot be detected.
There is no doubt that both situationscause a great risk for the
individual Bbecause it is asvital to detect the source of pain as it
is to feel the pain. For example, a person who is about to have a
stroke, and feels sudden pain in his body but does not know the source
of the pain, may befaced with a life-threatening situation, as medical
care cannot be provided.
How Does Congenital Analgesia Form?
This disease takes place as the result of a defect in the gene
called "SCN9A". Even the slightest defect inthis gene could render it
completely useless and prevent the signals transmitted to the brain
from being interpreted correctly. This is similar to pushing an
electric switch to light a lamp. If there is a defect in the switch
that activates the wires, which transfers electricity to the lamp, the
lamp will not beturned on. Thus, a defect in the gene called
"SCN9A"does not allow electrical signals transmitted from the outside
world about pain to be correctly interpreted . Of course,
thissituation is an important evidence that Almighty Allah, Who
creates everything with very sensitive balances, can destroy these
balances and that no one could re-establish these. Almighty Allah
reveals that He holds all things, small and large, in the world under
His Might in one verse of the Qur'an as follows:
"Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and earth, preventing them
from vanishing away. And if they vanished no one could then keep hold
of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving." (Surah
Fatir, 41)
Why Is It Dangerous Not To Feel the Sense of Pain?
There are three types of pain, called skin-deep pain, deep pain (bone,
muscle, rib and knuckle pain) and visceral organ pain. Skin-deep pains
occur when there is pressure applied to the skin, or when one
confronts temperatures more than 45 degrees Celcius. If this feeling
did not exist, a person may lose a lot of blood when his skin is cut
as he did notfeel any pain. In the same way, if the sense of pain were
not formed when hisskin is burned, he would not apply any cure as he
continues with his daily tasks in spite of the burn on his skin. This
would cause the upper skin that protects us from microbes to become
more prone to infections and thus cause serious diseases.

--
:-> :->

No comments:

Post a Comment