The incredible case of a woman who doesn’t feel pain

Marisa de Toledo a woman of Brazilian origin has been recognized for having a curious disease that inhibits her all feelings of pain and that is known as congenital analgesia is hereditary and very rare and inhibits the nerve receptors that send the information from the painful experience to the brain.

An advantage or disadvantage?

Patients who have it often have serious orthopedic and bone complications, which greatly increases the risk of fractures, scoliosis and in more extreme cases amputations. This disease is quite rare so from 1932 to 2002 only 30 cases have been reported around the world.

Marisa was discovered by her mother, who realized that from a very young age the girl exhibited a different behavior than the rest of her children. At the age of seven Marisa fractured her ankle but this didn´t prevent her from continuing her daily work and she was taken to the doctor where it was confirmed that the girl did not actually feel any pain.

Although it may seem like a dream experience living without pain can be quite uncomfortable because the human body doesn´t realize the injuries that occur by bad postures or bad forces. Since pain is an indicator of danger and with the absence of it the danger of death becomes more imminent.

Marisa’s case is very particular as she has many scars on her body and she has no idea why they are there. Currently this woman lacks the sense of taste because she burned her mouth when she ingested very hot food and didn´t realize the magnitude of the burns.

She had 3 children and in the delivery of the third she fell asleep, didn´t experience any pain in childbirth and has never needed anesthesia for surgical procedures including amputation of a toe.

But she claims she feels hot and cold but can’t tell if she burns or freezes which shows that brain blockage only occurs in the face of painful experiences. Some poet once said that pain helps us stay alive, and remember that we are.