What Is Allodynia?

By james

Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky

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There are some diseases that we understand very little about and remain somewhat of an enigma to scientists and other experts. This often makes it a lot harder to treat them, even if we can treat the symptoms that are caused. One such condition is allodynia.

Allodynia is a condition that has the potential to cause a great deal of distress for patients. Many will have to make considerable sacrifices in terms of lifestyle, and many will also need treatment throughout their lives. While it can be debilitating for a lot of people, it is thankfully fairly mild in many others.

1. What Is Allodynia?

Pain is an extremely useful sensation for us. Touch a hot kettle, for example, and you will feel intense pain at the point of contact. This is a good thing because it causes us to react, thus limiting the damage caused to our body. It also helps prevent us from doing anything that might harm us in the first place.

Allodynia is a condition where the patient will experience pain from things that would only usually cause a mild sensation, if any. For example, even brushing the skin very lightly might be agonizing in some cases. It is something that can make life very difficult for patients with the condition.