Left-handedness is a unique trait that affects about 10% of the global population. While being left-handed often comes with its own set of challenges in a world designed for right-handers, it also influences various aspects of health and well-being.
Understanding these effects can help left-handed individuals better navigate their daily lives and take proactive steps for their health. This article explores various ways that being left-handed can impact your health.
Higher Risk of Mental Health Disorders
Research indicates that left-handed individuals may be more susceptible to certain mental health conditions, including schizophrenia and mood disorders. Genetic factors may partially explain the link between schizophrenia symptoms and left-handedness.
A genome-wide association study identified positive genetic correlations between left-handedness and neuropsychiatric traits, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This suggests that a combination of genetic predispositions for non-right-handedness and mental health disorders, along with external factors and inherent atypical brain asymmetries, could account for the observed association between handedness and psychopathology.
Increased Likelihood of Learning Disabilities
A study found that left-handed individuals may be at a higher risk for dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning and mood disorders. Scientists believe this could be linked to brain structure, though the exact mechanism remains unclear. Typically, people rely on the brain’s left hemisphere for language skills.
However, about 30% of left-handed people either lack a dominant hemisphere or exhibit partial dominance. This may make them more vulnerable to learning disabilities and neurological conditions, as having a dominant hemisphere is thought to be more efficient for cognitive functions.
Higher Risk of Injuries
Research suggests that left-handed individuals may face a slightly higher risk of accidental injuries and death, likely because most tools and devices are designed for right-handed users. Additionally, while left-handed attackers may have an advantage in striking from the left, they are at a disadvantage when defending, increasing their injury risk in confrontational situations.
Greater Prevalence of Cardiovascular Diseases
Studies suggest that left-handed individuals may face shorter lifespans and a higher risk of heart-related issues, including diabetes and cancer. A recent investigation explored whether left-handed people have poorer vascular function and heart rate variability than right-handed individuals.
The study revealed that left-handers show reduced vascular endothelial function, which affects blood pressure, immune responses, and clotting. Additionally, there is a noted inverse relationship between arterial dilation and mean arterial pressure in left-handed people, suggesting they might be at greater risk for cardiovascular diseases and could benefit from earlier risk assessment.
Shorter Lifespan
There has been a longstanding myth that left-handed people have a shorter lifespan compared to right-handers. Studies have long indicated a shorter lifespan for left-handers. The age gap between left-handed and right-handed individuals has widened due to changing rates of left-handedness over time. This shift is reassuring for left-handers, as it suggests they are less likely to face a shortened lifespan due to their handedness.
Historically, left-handedness was reported at around 3% in the early 1900s, but this figure has risen to about 11% today. Consequently, older generations are more likely to be classified as right-handed, leading to a higher prevalence of older right-handers among deceased individuals. Thus, recent studies may reflect more older right-handers rather than a higher risk for left-handers.
Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
Some studies have linked left-handedness with a slightly higher risk of breast cancer in women. A study specifically found that left-handed women who had gone through menopause were 2.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than their right-handed counterparts.
However, the association between left-handedness and cancer remains controversial and continues to be debated in the scientific community.
Improved Cognitive Flexibility
On a more positive note, a study highlights that left-handers excel in cognitive flexibility, outperforming right-handers in cognitive flexibility and working memory tasks. Cognitive flexibility, the ability to switch thinking strategies to adapt to new conditions, is critical for problem-solving and creativity.
The research demonstrated that left-handers outperformed right-handers in the Trail-Making Test, which involves connecting dots while alternating between numbers and letters, and the Letter-Number Sequencing test, which requires recalling a mixed sequence of numbers and letters.
This advantage is attributed to enhanced brain hemisphere connectivity in left-handed individuals.
Struggles with Sleep Patterns
Left-handed individuals might experience different sleep patterns than right-handed individuals. A 2022 study analyzed data from over 1,700 healthy participants and discovered that left-handed individuals might experience more frequent nighttime awakenings and daytime sleepiness than right-handed individuals.
These findings could impact sleep research and health management by highlighting a potential difference in sleep patterns between left-handed and right-handed people.
Increased Likelihood of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Research has revealed that left-handedness occurs more frequently in individuals with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. Researchers investigated potential genetic overlaps between rare genetic variants linked to left-handedness and those associated with ASD, schizophrenia, or Parkinson’s disease.
It is to be noted that while left-handedness is more prevalent in these conditions compared to the general population, it is not indicative of a diagnosis. The altered brain asymmetry seen in some left-handed individuals might be related to specific psychiatric traits, hinting at possible connections between brain development and these disorders.
Higher Adaptability
Hand dominance can reveal personality traits, with left-handed people often being independent, adaptable, and innovative. Their need to adjust to a right-handed world fosters resilience and resourcefulness as they develop unique methods for using tools and technology. This adaptability often enhances their problem-solving skills.
Advantages in Sports
Left-handed athletes encounter distinct obstacles in sports, primarily because most equipment and strategies are designed with right-handed players in mind. They often need to adapt their techniques and approaches to navigate these challenges. Despite these hurdles, many left-handed athletes excel by leveraging their unique perspectives and skills, which can sometimes offer an unexpected advantage. Their ability to view the game from a different angle can lead to exceptional performance and innovation in their respective sports.