Why are nociceptors so ...

[jc611]

Why are nociceptors so important?

Question 2

What is involved in performing the sensory examination?

[FergA]

Answer to Question 1

Noriceptors are extremely important because they protect us from injury or even death. Noriceptors, or pain sensors, produce the perception of pain when they are traumatized. For example, if you start to drink a fluid that is very hot, you will likely spit it out, rather than swallow the fluid and risk being burned. The perception of burning is caused by direct trauma to nerve endings that relay this information to higher centers. As a result, you will act to avoid the painful stimulus. However, people with third-degree burns do not perceive pain, because the nerve endings supplying the burned area will have been destroyed.

Answer to Question 2

The sensory examination can be performed in a clinic or office, or at the bedside. Basically, the sensory examination is designed to evaluate the client's tactile sense (sense of touch), dermal sense (heat and cold), and taste sense (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umani). When evaluating the taste sense, it is important to not use visual clues to assess the client, and also to test many areas of the mouth. For example, to test taste, dip a cotton-tipped applicator into water and then into salt, sugar, bitters, lemon, and umani. Touch an area in the mouth with each type of substance, and ask the client what he or she tastes.

[jc611]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[nyrave]

Gracias!