Not noticing physical issues/effects

[simetra]

I experience hyposensitivity even when I am not absorbed in a thing or task. I hardly ever know where my bruises come from. People witnessing when I hit a part of my body on an object exclaim "ouch" but mostly, it doesn't hurt me. Other times, however, I am very sensitive to pain, and I have not yet figured out what makes the difference between feeling pain and not feeling anything in these situations.

At home, I generally sit cross-legged, be it on the floor or chairs. I can sit like that for hours and not feel a thing. Then, when I release my legs, everything hurts.

In the office, I used to set the AC so cold that it caused stiff shoulders and dry eyes, and it took me people pointing out my eyes and not being able to move my head for a few days to notice.

My hypo- and hypersensitivities also seem to change over the years. While I used to wear my hair in tight high ponytails throughout school and my Bachelor's degree, I have not been able to bear wearing my hair up for longer than 5 minutes before my roots start to hurt for about a year.

So I would agree that experiences of that kind are related to autism, either in connection with hyperfocus or sensory issues.

 

[unperson]

This is where the expression 'wouldn't know to come in out of the rain' gets used. Lack of bodily awareness, i got some of that.

 

[AspieOtaku]

Misery you may need a humidifier and not leave your heater on too long balance it out abit so you dont dry out but also dont get too hot or cold. Keep hydrated too.

 

[SDRSpark]

From what I've read this is actually common with autism, although hypersensitivity gets talked about far more often.

I am definitely hyposensitive to pain...when I was a teen in martial arts class, "does she bleed...and is it red?" is a question that got asked a lot.

When I was a child I had a sinus infection...I told my mother "I kind of have a headache..." my mom knew me pretty well, and thought it best to keep me out of school for the day and take me to the doctor (all I really wanted was some Tylenol lol). Between telling my mom that I had a headache, and getting to the doctor, I had gone outside and played on the swingset, then climbed on the roofer's scaffolding. When we got to the doctor, he took one look at me and said "how is she walking? She should have needed to be carried in here." Turns out I had a sinus infection so severe that it had gone down into my chest. I mostly felt fine.

"My throat is a little scratchy mom" turned out to be severe strep that had migrated to my sinuses.

So yeah, I might have a problem knowing when something is wrong.

I'm also the reigning Queen of the Land of Where the Heck Did This Bruise Come From? From the Greater Kingdom of Why Am I Bleeding?

I'll put my hands over my ears and duck when the phone rings or a child cries though...because nothing can ever be straightforward I guess.

 

[Karamazov]

^ I’ve had the exact same thing with headache that turned out to be sinusitis (in my twenties), and rumbling appendix: that one took a decade for the docs to figure out what I meant by “tummy ache”.
It was too big to fit in the jar they normally put them in (so the consultant told me after I’d come round from the morphine).

 

[SDRSpark]

^ I’ve had the exact same thing with headache that turned out to be sinusitis (in my twenties), and rumbling appendix: that one took a decade for the docs to figure out what I meant by “tummy ache”.
It was too big to fit in the jar they normally put them in (so the consultant told me after I’d come round from the morphine).

Wow!!! You're really lucky that appendix didn't kill you!!!

I sometimes worry that I'll miss something severe that will wind up seriously harming or killing me because I just won't feel ill and it'll turn out that I have a serious disease that requires prompt treatment.

 

[Karamazov]

Wow!!! You're really lucky that appendix didn't kill you!!!

I sometimes worry that I'll miss something severe that will wind up seriously harming or killing me because I just won't feel ill and it'll turn out that I have a serious disease that requires prompt treatment.

Yeah, my parents were out the day it came to crisis point: got home to find me curled up in a ball whimpering. Dad took me to the GP’s emergency walk-in, the doc did one look over me and told dad to drive to the hospital immediately (it was 40 miles away, too long a wait for an ambulance to come out). By the time I was at the hospital they had to dose me out of my mind with morphine so the consultant could unfold me to conduct an examination: they rushed me in as soon as the theatre was free ahead of the queue.

I couldn’t walk for a month because they had to cut through some of the abs on my right side to get it out (4” scar that’s still prominent almost twenty years later).

Hadn’t occurred to me what this might mean for any future serious health events... hmmm... hyposensitivity to pain is actually pretty dangerous isn’t it?

 

[garnetflower13]

It's other things, too. As I mentioned in another thread recently, I tend not to notice injuries. I got cut by something? I wont know about it until someone points out that my hand is all bloody.

This happens to hubby, who is also on the spectrum. I will ask where the blood came from on the floor or on some other surface and he will be all surprised at the fact that he has got a cut on his foot or on his hand!

The worst though is when it happens with hunger. If I am hungry for too long, it gets *really* unpleasant. The sort of unpleasant that leads to nasty sensory overload. Good thing is, that is REALLY easy to counter, obviously by having a meal, but once the sensation processes and suddenly hits me, it can cause a brief panic attack.

Yes, this is me too. It just happened today; I woke up feeling hunger pangs, then got engrossed with my computer and suddenly feel panic wondering what on earth is wrong, why am I so weak! and I have sat in a cold area until my fingertips are numb and my nose is running before it registers that I am too cold.

 

[garnetflower13]

That's why my fingers hurt typing this, as I spent the afternoon struggling with cat baths, flea combs and washing cat beds and blankets. Giving cat's oatmeal baths and then combing them with a flea comb is not for the faint of heart. My spouse just disinfected the scratches all over my arms and back. Which were getting red.

Oh, my God! That's a lot of work, but it's all for the fur babies.

 

[Jumpback]

I can tell that I have a broader range than most people, in that if I am forced into something uninteresting in high heat it will be torturous, where if I am focused on something, at least if the task is physical, I maybe don’t notice as much as many others

Like non air conditioned school where we were not allowed to wear shorts, was absolute torture on hot days, but when I used to be involved in bodybuilding, I’d go from excercise to excerice to excerise, then to basketball at the end, with not much of a need for a significant break, while others kept stopping and talking to each other. I’d end up drenched in sweat and would not be particular uncomfortable other than needing drinks of water.

Like heat seems to district me more in one way and less in another, but I am unclear if it has to do with sensitivity or with focus being sort of either on or off, and therefore focus being more open or less open to external distractions.

 

[Els]

Okay, so here's a thing that happened just now.

I'm sitting here for awhile, right, doing stuff. And after a time, I very abruptly realize: my eyes feel quite strange. Kinda fried. And I've got a cough going. And so on. This confuses me for only a moment before I realize the culprit: the portable heater sitting to my left has been left on for WAY too long.

The basement is often too cold, you see. Even when summer is boiling hot. Heck if I know why. So I use that heater to counter that. The heater is very strong. And on top of that, the air in the basement is very DRY. The heater of course dries it out even more. So, when the heater is left on too long and I've been sitting in it's blast radius long enough, well.... it's pretty much the same result every time.

But somehow, I dont NOTICE that I'm experiencing this stupid problem until it's getting quite unpleasant. The sensations (and the cough) are there. But it's like it's not being processed. Now fortunately, this situation is quite predictable. I can counter it easily by drinking a bunch of water, and, well, getting out of the basement. Having a nice steamy shower also helps alot. It doesnt take much effort to get rid of those negative effects. But the fact that it takes me so long to notice is what gets me.

It's other things, too. As I mentioned in another thread recently, I tend not to notice injuries. I got cut by something? I wont know about it until someone points out that my hand is all bloody. The worst though is when it happens with hunger. If I am hungry for too long, it gets *really* unpleasant. The sort of unpleasant that leads to nasty sensory overload. Good thing is, that is REALLY easy to counter, obviously by having a meal, but once the sensation processes and suddenly hits me, it can cause a brief panic attack.


So, I'm wondering... is this something that's common when it comes to autism? I know that so many of us have all sorts of screwball sensory issues. Do any of you ever have this sort of thing happen?

I have this all the time.
I have tolerable/untolerable. Tolerable things happen in the background. I need to make an effort to become self conscious about those stuffs, otherwise they don't really catch my attention.
I tend to eat too much because I'm anxious about getting untolerabily hungry later and have no food near. Like being dizzy and stomach ache and not be able to eat really fast. So I eat in prevention, I never wait to be hungry. Actually, I'm not sure I have a normal "hungry" feeling, it's rather : "I never wait to be starving". There's just tolerable/untolerable, and all that's tolerable is most likely in the background while I'm focusing on whatever I'm focusing on.
I do notice when I hurt myself though, just not really when I get burned. There's a gap in time, my attention doesn't get caugh in anything that's in the background. Looking back, I'm like "I knew something was happening", but I'm not necessarily fully aware of it. I'm focused on something else, so unless it's unbearable, I don't notice it.
I'd like to set alarms ordering me to check on my body and physical sensations, because honestly, I'm not self aware at all.

 

[Thinx]

I don't actually get ill. Much, if ever. Just the odd cold. There's nothing to be sensitive to, I m almost always ok. I'm affected by smells, scents or sprays, though, I really notice those, and they hurt my eyes and get in my throat. Ick.

 

[All-Rounder]

I don't actually get ill. Much, if ever. Just the odd cold. There's nothing to be sensitive to, I m almost always ok. I'm affected by smells, scents or sprays, though, I really notice those, and they hurt my eyes and get in my throat. Ick.

I cough profusely when I inhale or even smell perfume, i read it's the lung receptor reaction like taste is for taste buds, cough is for lung senses.

 

[Karamazov]

I don't actually get ill. Much, if ever. Just the odd cold. There's nothing to be sensitive to, I m almost always ok. I'm affected by smells, scents or sprays, though, I really notice those, and they hurt my eyes and get in my throat. Ick.

Place where I really notice sprays/perfumes is an irritating tickle right up inside my nose, and the taste on my tongue... mostly unpleasant, I never really notice the scent itself: just the solvent/propellant in all it's harsh chemical plant style glory.

 

[Ella Spell]

Yes, autism often presents with hyposensitivity of our bodily awareness, known as Interoception. It can affect our ability to perceive hunger and thirst cues, pain, fatigue, etc. and it's distinguished from Alexithymia which is a low ability to read our own emotions.

I'm working on Interoception skills with my SPD Occupational Therapist lately. My OT has recommended a series of videos and resources by Kelly Mahler. Have a look and see if any of this helps. The "Resouces" tab provides a lot of information.

What Is Interoception? | Kelly Mahler

 

[Rasputin]

Okay, so here's a thing that happened just now.

I'm sitting here for awhile, right, doing stuff. And after a time, I very abruptly realize: my eyes feel quite strange. Kinda fried. And I've got a cough going. And so on. This confuses me for only a moment before I realize the culprit: the portable heater sitting to my left has been left on for WAY too long.

The basement is often too cold, you see. Even when summer is boiling hot. Heck if I know why. So I use that heater to counter that. The heater is very strong. And on top of that, the air in the basement is very DRY. The heater of course dries it out even more. So, when the heater is left on too long and I've been sitting in it's blast radius long enough, well.... it's pretty much the same result every time.

But somehow, I dont NOTICE that I'm experiencing this stupid problem until it's getting quite unpleasant. The sensations (and the cough) are there. But it's like it's not being processed. Now fortunately, this situation is quite predictable. I can counter it easily by drinking a bunch of water, and, well, getting out of the basement. Having a nice steamy shower also helps alot. It doesnt take much effort to get rid of those negative effects. But the fact that it takes me so long to notice is what gets me.

It's other things, too. As I mentioned in another thread recently, I tend not to notice injuries. I got cut by something? I wont know about it until someone points out that my hand is all bloody. The worst though is when it happens with hunger. If I am hungry for too long, it gets *really* unpleasant. The sort of unpleasant that leads to nasty sensory overload. Good thing is, that is REALLY easy to counter, obviously by having a meal, but once the sensation processes and suddenly hits me, it can cause a brief panic attack.


So, I'm wondering... is this something that's common when it comes to autism? I know that so many of us have all sorts of screwball sensory issues. Do any of you ever have this sort of thing happen?

What you are describing sometimes happens to me when my focus gets locked in on a task that requires high concentration. I get so locked in that I can block out all distractions for long periods of time. And I have found myself bleeding on my hand or leg and have no idea how I injured myself. I have no idea how common this is, but it seems to be associated with hyperfocusing, which is common.

 

[grommet]

Okay, so here's a thing that happened just now.

I'm sitting here for awhile, right, doing stuff. And after a time, I very abruptly realize: my eyes feel quite strange. Kinda fried. And I've got a cough going. And so on. This confuses me for only a moment before I realize the culprit: the portable heater sitting to my left has been left on for WAY too long.

The basement is often too cold, you see. Even when summer is boiling hot. Heck if I know why. So I use that heater to counter that. The heater is very strong. And on top of that, the air in the basement is very DRY. The heater of course dries it out even more. So, when the heater is left on too long and I've been sitting in it's blast radius long enough, well.... it's pretty much the same result every time.

But somehow, I dont NOTICE that I'm experiencing this stupid problem until it's getting quite unpleasant. The sensations (and the cough) are there. But it's like it's not being processed. Now fortunately, this situation is quite predictable. I can counter it easily by drinking a bunch of water, and, well, getting out of the basement. Having a nice steamy shower also helps alot. It doesnt take much effort to get rid of those negative effects. But the fact that it takes me so long to notice is what gets me.

It's other things, too. As I mentioned in another thread recently, I tend not to notice injuries. I got cut by something? I wont know about it until someone points out that my hand is all bloody. The worst though is when it happens with hunger. If I am hungry for too long, it gets *really* unpleasant. The sort of unpleasant that leads to nasty sensory overload. Good thing is, that is REALLY easy to counter, obviously by having a meal, but once the sensation processes and suddenly hits me, it can cause a brief panic attack.


So, I'm wondering... is this something that's common when it comes to autism? I know that so many of us have all sorts of screwball sensory issues. Do any of you ever have this sort of thing happen?

This happened to me all my life and it can be quite serious. Years ago I worried about starving because I never felt the need to eat. I can also be injured, too hot or very cold, sitting on or leaning against something that is poking me, so many different things. My brain is focused elsewhere and I am not aware of my immediate situation. I do think it is autism.

 

[GrownupGirl]

Wow. Forget to eat. I wish I could do that sometimes.

 

[grommet]

Wow. Forget to eat. I wish I could do that sometimes.

Not being able to remember to do something that is vital to staying alive is scary. It is not something I am glad about.

 

[kettenkrad]

Giving cat's oatmeal baths and then combing them with a flea comb is not for the faint of heart. My spouse just disinfected the scratches all over my arms and back. Which were getting red.

Not a joke: buy a cheap pair of padded overalls - the sort that are quilted for cooler temperatures. You should be able to get a pair for $40 or so online. That's a LOT less than the cost of cat scratch fever. You'll be almost Kitty Proof while you're wearing them.