Why doesn’t the brain feel pain?

The brain is the organ responsible for processing pain, integrating the incoming information through nerve terminals and the interpretation of these signals. However, interestingly, the brain does not feel pain.

Pain is a vital sign that alerts of an injury or damage that occurs in our body and sets in motion natural mechanisms to solve it. To do this, we have a series of nerve endings that collect that signal.

These endings They are called nociceptors and are responsible for receiving sensory information from the outside and inside of our body.. They are found at the end of the axons of sensory neurons and in a matter of tenths of a second they are capable of transmitting to the brain, and the nervous system in general, information about mechanical, thermal or chemical injuries.

Why doesn’t it hurt?

Paradoxically, nociceptors are not found in the brain, so the brain itself cannot hurt. Far from knowing the advantages that this has brought to survival, today it allows neurosurgeons to perform operations on the brain using local anesthesia.

Thus, the patient can remain awake and, while the intervention is performed, it can be monitored to ensure that other areas are not being damaged or that everything is going well.

Therefore, even if we think that our brain hurts us or is going to explode, When you feel pain in the head, what is actually being affected are the nervous tissues, the meninges, the blood vessels or muscles. from around the brain.

These elements, which do have nociceptors, can become inflamed, damaged or dilated, sending the signal to the brain that something is wrong, producing generalized pain in the head. In cases, such as brain tumors or a brain hemorrhage, where pain is present, This does not come directly from the brain, but from the pressure it exerts on the blood vessels that surround it..

The headache

Headaches are generally not serious and They are due to tension headaches, migraines, sinusitis or inflammation in the neck.. The head can also hurt due to a common cold, flu or other viral diseases that cause alterations in blood flow or inflammation.

However, there are other more serious problems which can cause pain. Some of them would be:

An abnormal connection between arteries and veins in the brain. A cardiovascular accident which causes arrest of blood flow.Rupture of blood vessels or brain aneurysm.Bleeding inside the brain or intracerebral hematoma.Bleeding around the brain: subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural or epidural hematoma.Hydrocephalus acute or interruption of cerebrospinal fluid.Blood pressure very high. Infection of the brain or nearby tissues.

When to consult with the specialist?

Since the brain does not feel pain, the main sign of injury to this organ is a headache, but as indicated above, not all headaches indicate something serious.

It is important to know when this pain may be due to truly vital causes. and when to see a doctor. Thus, medical attention is necessary in case:

The pain interferes with daily life. The pain is severe after performing physical activities. It appears suddenly and explosively. It is associated with alterations in vision, mobility, language or memory. It worsens within 24 hours. It is associated with other symptoms such as fever. , stiffness, or nausea.You have redness in one of your eyes.You have a history of cancer or a weakened immune system.The headache wakes you up or prevents you from sleeping.

In conclusion, When we feel pain in the head, what hurts are the tissues, vessels and muscles that are around the brain.because this, despite being in charge of processing the pain, is incapable of feeling it.

So, If the headache presents in an atypical way, it is essential to see a specialist to assess whether it reflects a vital injury to the tissues or interior of the brain.

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