Head pain resulting from subarachnoid (spinal) anesthesia is the most common complication after surgery. After the operation, the patient often complains of an unpleasant pain syndrome in the head area. A more dangerous form of headache is quite rare (only 1% of all cases). Anesthesia should be used for cesarean section, knee replacements, and when general anesthesia is prohibited. The duration of headache after spinal anesthesia depends on the form. It can last from several hours to 14 days. It is no wonder that many patients in such situations are interested in the pressing question of how to remove a headache after spinal anesthesia.
Definition of Spinal Anesthesia
Surgical intervention in the pelvis and limbs, requiring anesthesia and at the same time keeping the patient in a state of consciousness, is carried out using spinal anesthesia. A drug injected into the subarachnoid space acts directly on the nerve endings. In this case, the patient can even move the limbs from time to time and feel unpleasant pain sensations. Spinal anesthesia is prescribed in the following cases:
- during surgery on the legs;
- during pelvic surgery;
- for operations on the small intestine;
- during caesarean section;
- with complicated labor activity.
At the time of drug administration, the patient is laid on his side or offered to sit with his back to the anesthesiologist and completely relax his back. At the same time, the head falls as low as possible, the shoulders relax, the back arches with a wheel so that the vertebrae are clearly visible. After a puncture is made and the slow introduction of a small dose of anesthetic.
To reduce pain during labor, a woman may also be offered anesthesia. But for this, epidural anesthesia is performed, as it provides a partial loss of sensitivity and complete relaxation of the muscles. With this type of anesthesia, the anesthetic drug is injected into the epidural space of the spine, with spinal anesthesia - into the subarachnoid space.
Associated symptoms
Not all patients have a headache after spinal anesthesia. Many report to the doctor that they did not feel any unpleasant symptoms either during or after surgery. But a certain percentage of patients report the following accompanying symptoms:
- pain in one limb that does not go awayfor several days;
- severe back pain;
- feeling of heaviness and tightness of the chest, problems with the respiratory system;
- pain in the neck;
- trouble turning the neck to the side.
Description of pain in the head after spinal anesthesia
With subarachnoid anesthesia, a special needle is used to pierce the shell, which is a thin membrane. The space between such a substance and the spinal region is filled with a specific fluid. When determining the causes of headache after spinal anesthesia, it is important to consider the principle of the procedure:
- due to a puncture, liquid is released;
- intracerebral pressure decreases;
- there is severe pain in the head.
Reducing the size of the puncture significantly reduces fluid loss. As a result, the risk of pain in the head after the injection of anesthetic is reduced.
Modern developments in medicine
To reduce the length of the piercing, specialists created special thin subarachnoid needles, and also changed the type of needle sharpening to "pencil". The main reason for the rare use of the latest anesthetic needles is considered to be relatively expensive.
It is not always possible to prevent a headache. Often this happens in cases where the puncture was carried out at the wrong angle, there was even a minimal displacement of the needle inside or the puncture hole is closed. Incorrect technique can also provoke subarachnoid hemorrhage. It should be remembered that there are patients for whom spinal anesthesia does not help at all, and they continue to feel pain symptoms during contractions or surgery.
Distinguishing features of a headache
The duration of anesthesia action is from 2 to 5 hours, depending on the dosage of the administered drug. Unpleasant symptoms may appear already during the administration of the drug, which is important to tell the anesthesiologist. Severe headaches after spinal anesthesia appear immediately after anesthesia or after a certain period of time (one day).
Since the main cause of a headache is a change in intracranial pressure, it is on him that the patient's further well-being mainly depends. The following sensations arise:
- lumbago in the back of the head;
- dull pain in forehead;
- bursting pain all over the head;
- squeezing feeling in the head;
- heaviness in the skull.
In some patients, after spinal anesthesia, there is not only pain in the head, but also dizziness, a feeling of loss of support under the feet. However, it should be noted that in all cases, subarachnoid anesthesia is tolerated much easier than the general one. After general anesthesia, the patient experiences not only headache, but also a rapid decrease in blood pressure, nausea, and the presence of hallucinations.
Pain prevention
The best methodto prevent pain in the head is to use a puncture needle, the diameter of which will not exceed 25G. In addition, it must be sharpened like a "pencil".
In addition, in order to avoid possible complications after the operation, doctors advise to follow the following rules:
- Smoking and drinking alcohol is prohibited 6 hours before surgery;
- be in a supine position after the operation you need at least 7 hours, it is best to observe bed rest throughout the next day;
- it is worth giving up the pillow for a day, take a completely horizontal position during sleep, in which the spine will be on the same level with the head;
- you should drink plenty of water - more than two liters a day;
- it is forbidden to lift any heavy objects;
- you can not make any sudden movements and inclinations over the next five days.
If pain in the head appears after anesthesia, then it is important to immediately inform your doctor about this, who will help prescribe effective treatment and prevent complications.
Patient Treatment Methods
How to relieve headaches after spinal anesthesia? In most cases, it is not necessary to deal with such a condition, since the pain sensations go away on their own. If the pain syndrome continues for a long time, then the patient must strictly follow the doctor's basic recommendations.
Good effect can be achieved by taking painkillers. These can be such medications as Paracetamol, Askofen, Citramon, Ibuprofen. In many patients, the condition improves significantly after drinking tea, coffee or cola.
Epidural patches
How to treat a headache after spinal anesthesia? It is quite rare, but it still happens that drugs cannot have the desired effect and relieve unpleasant pain. In this condition, the pain syndrome only intensifies and does not stop for several days. In this case, specialists insist on the use of a blood patch (it is done by an anesthesiologist).
To create a patch, a small amount of blood is taken from a patient's vein. After that, it is moved to the area in which subarachnoid anesthesia was previously administered. Such therapy brings the following effect:
- blood begins to clot naturally;
- the hole made in the membrane is blocked.
As a result of this procedure, the headache that arose as a result of anesthesia stops. As a rule, any unpleasant symptoms after applying the epidural patch pass in one day.
Many patients report that after using the patch, their condition has improved significantly, and all symptoms of the disease have disappeared.
It should be remembered thatcarrying out such a procedure in some cases is complicated by serious problems. We are talking about the process of spreading the infection in the blood, as well as the appearance of problems with sensory and movements in the lower extremities. In rare cases, the pain radiates down the back. The risk of prostatic complications after an epidural patch is very small, but it exists.
Applying saline
In addition to blood, saline can be injected into the subarachnoid region. From one to one and a half liters of saline is allowed to be introduced throughout the day. It is important to start on the same day that epidural anesthesia (or puncture of the spinal cord) was prescribed. The main advantages of this method include high efficiency, safety and sterility of the procedure, which minimizes infection.
At the same time, this method has its significant disadvantages, including the fact that the saline solution has a liquid consistency and has the ability to absorb for a long time. It is for this reason that the pressure with its support is restored at the same pace as when the patient is infused with blood.
Pain in the head with spinal anesthesia is considered a fairly common process. In order to avoid complications, it is worth using one of the methods to prevent its occurrence. In addition, it is possible to minimize pain at home. But before that, you should consult with your doctor.
Pain relief at home
Good result in the treatment of post-puncture headache after spinalanesthesia can be achieved through the effects of caffeine, which can constrict the blood vessels in the head. Caffeine is a fairly effective stimulant of the central nervous system. What are the features of its application:
- headache occurs due to the rapid expansion of blood vessels, caffeine also helps to narrow them, and the pain syndrome, respectively, to eliminate;
- caffeine is legal for oral and intravenous use;
- best dosage is 500mg daily;
- in one Czech coffee is from 50 to 100 grams of caffeine, depending on the strength of the drink; to restore well-being with a headache, you should take 5 to 8 cups of coffee throughout the day.
Plentiful drink
Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, helps to increase blood flow and the amount of fluid in the tissues of the body as a whole. Water enters the body, spreads throughout the body, which entails an increase in pressure. In turn, increased pressure helps to reduce pain in the head caused by partial loss of cerebrospinal fluid. To restore water balance, you should consume at least 2.5-3 liters of water per day.
Distraction
How to relieve headaches after spinal anesthesia? It is necessary to simply distract from thoughts about annoying unpleasant heaviness in the temples. To switch your attention, you should use various visual images that will help you change your focus. Visual images help to focus on pleasant events and pictures.
Another visualization technique is the repetition of positive phrases and words. Distraction techniques help to divert attention, turn thoughts to positive things. This includes watching TV, listening to music, talking to an interesting person. Distraction techniques and visualization help a person shift his attention to other moments. But the most correct solution in the event of such an unpleasant complication after anesthesia would be to immediately seek help from a doctor.
