Types of Anesthesia

Anesthesia is a condition of having the sensation of an individual or patient blocked temporarily, to allow that individual to undergo surgery and other medical procedures without any pain, which otherwise they would experience. Not that every surgery or medical procedure would require the patient to undergo this condition, yet most of them do to avoid distress and pain, during and post the surgery. The anesthesia given to a person differs from condition to condition and intensity of the same differs according to the health of the person to whom it is given. A patient has to undergo various medical and physical tests before the medical practitioner actually decides which type of anesthesia is best suited for him and the quantity of anesthetic drug to be administered.

The reason an anesthesiologist is very careful before injecting the drug is because, anesthesia acts on the central nervous system of the patient. Hence, an incorrect dose would disturb the entire working of the central nervous system, which is considered to be the CPU (central processing unit) of the body. In most cases, where the patients are advised a general anesthesia, the anesthetic drug is usually injected in the spinal cord. The drug works via the spinal cord which runs down from the brain and branches out to the other parts of our body, sending signals of being numb. In simple words, now the brain cannot send signals to any part of the body and since the organ does not receive any signal it doesn't respond to the same. Thus, the patient's sensation is dead or his body is numbed. The anesthesiologist will decide the anesthesia best suited for you, after examining your physical fitness and the type of surgery. Here are the following types of anesthesia available.

Types of Anesthesia

Local Anesthesia: Local anesthesia, as the name suggests, is administered for a minor surgery on a specific or localized area of the body. A shot is injected around the area to be operated to reduce pain and distress during the surgery. Sometimes, anesthesia can also be given in the form of an ointment or spray. A local anesthesia will keep you awake throughout the surgery, but will numb the tissue around the surgery area. The effect of the local anesthesia is short-lived, and persists only or a few hours. This type of anesthesia is best suited for tests, procedures, minor surgeries and dental procedures where a lot of pain is not expected. Therefore, a local anesthesia will dull the pain.