Modern medicine strives for humanity: all manipulations are maximally facilitated and anesthetized, treatment is carried out in the most comfortable environment. Currently, both local anesthesia and general anesthesia are used. Local anesthesia anesthetizes a specific area, and general anesthesia completely turns off consciousness. There are strict indications for the use of both anesthesia. There are operations in which general anesthesia is required, while others are performed mainly under local anesthesia. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages.
General anesthesia negatively affects the nervous system, but gives complete pain relief. Local anesthesia does not always completely turn off all sensations, but it does not affect the brain at all.
Epidural: what is it and how scary is it?
There is a method of anesthesia that completely disables the work of all nerve fibers and at the same time allows a person to remain conscious. This is epidural anesthesia, or the so-called epidural. What is it?
Any anesthesia puts a "barrier" to the conduction of a pain impulse fromreceptor for the brain. Local anesthesia interrupts the conduction at the very beginning, and general anesthesia blocks the perception of the impulse by the centers of the brain. But the drug for anesthesia can be injected into the spinal canal and "freeze" the conductive nerve fibers - this is the epidural. What is it in practical terms?
A patient under epidural anesthesia is in a clear mind. He understands and is aware of everything that surrounds him, but does not feel the limbs and torso, which are below the level of drug administration. Most often, an epidural is used during childbirth. Sometimes, with the help of her, a caesarean section is done: the mother’s desire to see the first minutes of her child is so strong that she agrees to an abdominal operation under epidural anesthesia. There is another important aspect that is taken into account during childbirth: with this type of anesthesia, the narcotic substance does not enter the blood, and therefore into milk, therefore, immediately after the birth of the baby, you can put it on the breast.
Anesthesia is performed by an anesthesiologist-resuscitator. The medicine is injected into the spinal canal below the end of the spinal cord itself. Nerve conduction is blocked, the patient does not feel pain, cannot move his leg, does not control the anus or bladder. By the way, in some cases, during natural childbirth, an epidural is used. What is this method? The fact is that the cervix also relaxes under the influence of this anesthesia, so when there is discoordination in the work of the uterus, the use of epidural anesthesia avoidscaesarean section.
What are the consequences?
The consequences of epidurals occur, but rarely. Of course, like any invasive intervention, epidural anesthesia can have negative consequences. The first of these is a headache shortly after the injection. When inserted, the needle damages the dura mater, so back pain may occur over time - these are the most likely and frequent negative effects of epidural anesthesia.
