Are itch and pain related? In both cases, the nervous system is involved and deciphering the molecular basis of ‘itch’ has tremendous contribution to pain management. In diseases like cancer, sickle cell anaemia and others, the excruciating pain and managing it to tolerable limits is one of the challenges faced by clinicians, said paediatrician-turned-geneticist Geoff Woods from Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, UK, on Sunday.
In his talk on ‘With Extreme Phenotypes, think of Genetics, even with Itch,” organised by the city-based Genome Foundation, in collaboration with Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IDVL) Telangana branch, he said administering opioids was being intensely debated in medical practice.
Opioids, a substance found in certain prescription pain medications and illegal drugs such as heroin, are prescribed to treat pain. With prolonged use, pain-relieving effects may lessen and pain can become worse. In addition, opioid-dependency causes withdrawal symptoms, which makes it difficult to stop taking them, he explained.
