FAQ’s

Anesthesia may cause some side effects:

Common side effects:
– Feeling hungry or thirsty, nausea, vomiting, headache, sore throat, tiredness, dizziness, and confusion. These side effects usually go away itself.

Bladder problems:
– Difficulty urinating or recognizing the need to urinate. You may also experience urine leakage after the catheter is removed.

Bruising and soreness:
– Bruising and soreness where the needle was inserted or an IV was placed. This typically heals without treatment.

Damage to the mouth or teeth:
– Minor cuts to the lips or tongue from a tube inserted into your mouth or throat to help you breathe during surgery.

Allergic reactions:
– Symptoms include rash, hives, swelling, airway inflammation, and low blood pressure.

Awareness:
– Rare complication where you unintentionally recall an event, which can lead to post-traumatic stress, fear of future anesthesia, and sleep problems.

Lingering effects:
– Subtle memory loss or difficulty solving problems from the anesthetic medications.

The specific side effects you experience depend on your condition and the procedure. Your healthcare provider can give you additional medications to help manage pain and nausea.

Anesthesia refers to the use of medications, called anesthetics, that temporarily block pain signals from reaching the brain during medical procedures or surgery. Anesthetics work by interrupting the transmission of sensory information from the site of the procedure to the brain’s pain centers, effectively numbing the area.

– Local anesthesia numbs a small, targeted area of the body, allowing the patient to remain awake and alert during minimally invasive procedures like a skin biopsy.

– Sedation, or “twilight sleep,” induces a relaxed, drowsy state where the patient is not fully unconscious but less likely to remember the procedure, as is common for wisdom teeth removal or some colonoscopies.

– Regional anesthesia blocks pain in a larger part of the body, such as an arm or the lower torso, and may be used in addition to sedation or on its own, as with an epidural for childbirth.

– General anesthesia renders the patient fully unconscious and insensitive to pain, allowing for more extensive or invasive surgeries involving the head, chest, or abdomen.

The type of anesthesia used depends on the specific medical procedure and its complexity, as determined by the healthcare provider.

The experience of anesthesia can vary depending on the type (local, regional, or general) and individual factors, but it generally provides a comfortable and pain-free process for medical procedures.

Local anesthesia typically numbs a small, targeted area where the procedure is performed, such as during a dental filling. Patients may initially feel a small prick from the injection, followed by tingling or numbness. Soon, the area feels heavy or swollen, and although patients can sense touch or pressure, pain is entirely blocked. Throughout, patients remain fully awake and aware.

Regional anesthesia, like an epidural, numbs a larger area, such as the lower half of the body, and is often used for childbirth or surgeries on the legs. After the injection, a spreading numbness takes over the region, and it may feel heavy or disconnected, as though it isn’t quite a part of the patient. Some patients report a warm, comfortable sensation. Patients may be awake or lightly sedated but remain aware and pain-free.

General anesthesia, which involves complete unconsciousness, feels markedly different. Before receiving it, patients are typically given a sedative through an IV, making them feel deeply relaxed and drowsy. As the anesthetic takes effect, sensations quickly fade, and the patient drifts off. For most people, it feels as if only a second has passed from falling asleep to waking up in the recovery room. Often, there’s no sense of time or awareness, and patients don’t remember anything from the procedure itself. Upon waking, grogginess or slight confusion is common, along with sensations like dry mouth or mild nausea. However, these effects typically subside as the anesthetic wears off, leaving a relaxed, pain-free experience during surgery and a smooth recovery afterward.