Is it possible to do anesthesia and not be afraid for your health

Можно ли делать наркоз и не бояться за свое здоровье

Anesthesia is very common in medicine. It helps to survive pain during surgical procedures. Anesthesia has been used for almost 200 years, and it's safe to say that most people take it for granted. However, some patients are afraid and believe in myths about narcosis and its consequences.

Estet-portal.com will help you figure out if you can do anesthesia and justified whether the fear of it.

What is anesthesia and how it works
Myths and reality: can do anesthesia and should be afraid of it
Results: is anesthesia dangerous for health

What is anesthesia and how it works

First, you need to understand what anesthesia is and how it works. In translated from Greek "narcosis" — it's numb. The anesthesiologist injects a special drug, due to which the sensitivity of the whole body or some part of it decreases. For major operations, general anesthesia is used. The patient goes through several stages after the administration of anesthetics:

loss of consciousness;
sleep;
muscle relaxation;
pain relief;
memory loss;
disable reflexes — the deepest stage.

General anesthesia — this is an artificial short-term coma in which a person completely loses sensitivity. This is why some patients are so afraid of anesthesia.

Myths and reality: can do anesthesia and should be afraid of it

The most common myths that cause unreasonable anxiety among patients:

Myth 1. Anesthesiologists do not stay in the operating room during operation

In fact, the anesthesiologist plays an important role during the operation. His job is not just to anaesthetize the patient. He continues to check the stability and condition of the patient until the end of the operation. The anesthesiologist accompanies the patient even in the recovery room.

Myth 2. Can't wake up after surgery

In fact, the risk of death from anesthesia is 1 in 200 operations. This is a meager amount. There are many factors responsible for the poor outcome of the operation: the general condition of the patient, the type and duration of the operation.

In fact, vital signs are monitored during anesthesia. The doctor takes a cardiogram, measures pressure and heart rate, measures the level of oxygen in the blood. Due to this, the risk of complications during surgery is minimal.

Myth 3. You will wake up during the operation under anesthesia

One of the main fears — suddenly wake up and start feeling everything. However, you don't have to worry about that. Modern equipment allows you to determine the effect of anesthesia, and how deeply a person sleeps. If the anesthesia wears off, the anesthesiologist increases the dose.

Myth 4. One anesthesia takes 5 years of a person's life

Let's refute this myth. We know that many people suffered 5-6 anesthesias in their childhood, lived to old age and feeling well. But adults who have repeatedly performed operations under anesthesia already have health problems. Therefore, their condition depends not on anesthesia, but on the past diseases.

Myth 5. Epidural causes back pain

This statement also has nothing to do with reality. Because of the fear of back pain, many pregnant patients refuse spinal anesthesia. In fact, it is the safest option for a baby during a c-section.

Myth 6. Anesthesia causes hallucinations

There is information that the patient may "from side" observe the operation during anesthesia. These are unconfirmed facts that are being circulated in the media. The use of anesthesia induces a deep sleep that has nothing to do with a change in consciousness.

Myth 7. Redheads need additional anesthesia

This is one of the most common myths, not only among patients, but and in the society of anesthesiologists. To be fair, people with a mutation in the MC1R gene, which is responsible for red hair, tend to be more sensitive to painkillers. Scientists state that "red hair seems to represent a distinct phenotype associated with" the need for "an additional dose of anesthesia."

According to the results of the American study, not all red-haired girls were especially sensitive to anesthesia, but more than half of them were. It can be concluded that the — myth, but only partially. None of the doctors can reliably say how susceptible a red-haired patient will be to anesthesia.

Results: is anesthesia dangerous for health

Millions of people annually undergo all types of surgery with the help of painkillers. Of course, there are many different views on anesthesia. For two centuries, doctors have been using anesthesia and conducting numerous studies. Thanks to this, anesthesia has become almost 50 times safer. But like everywhere, so in the world of medicine, there are always risks and potential complications.

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