General Anesthesia: Demystifying Side Effects and preventive measure
.
General anesthesia, as an indispensable part of modern medicine, provides a painless and safe surgical environment for countless surgical patients. However, various rumors about general anesthesia, such as “general anesthesia is equivalent to death once” and “serious side effects after anesthesia”, make many people have doubts about general anesthesia. This article will discuss the side effects of general anesthesia and its preventive measure in detail to help you better understand general anesthesia and eliminate unnecessary fears.
General anesthesia is the use of drugs to make patients temporarily lose consciousness and sensation in order to achieve the purpose of painless operation. Anesthetic drugs, usually given intravenously or through the respiratory tract, act on the central nervous system and suppress the activity of the brain. Although general anesthesia plays a vital role in the procedure, it can also cause some side effects.
Common side effects
of general anesthesia
Nausea and vomiting: This is one of the most common side effects after general anesthesia and may be caused by anesthetic drugs, surgical irritation, or other factors during anesthesia. In order to prevent nausea and vomiting, doctors usually give appropriate drugs, such as anti-nausea drugs, before surgery.
Sore
throat and cough: Some patients may experience sore throat and cough after anesthesia due to tracheal intubation or airway irritation. Methods to prevent such side effects include the selection of appropriate intubation technique and the reduction of intubation time.
Dizziness and fatigue: Anesthetic medications and changes in blood pressure during surgery may cause patients to experience dizziness and fatigue after anesthesia. Proper rest and a gradual increase in activity can help alleviate these symptoms.
Urinary retention: Certain anesthetic drugs may cause urinary retention, requiring the passage of urine through a bladder catheter. Preventive measures include timely urination after surgery and avoidance of excessive urine holding.
Respiratory depression: Anesthetic drugs may depress the respiratory center, resulting in decreased respiratory rate and depth. Doctors will closely monitor the patient’s breathing during general anesthesia and assist breathing if needed.
Hypotension: Certain anesthetic drugs may cause a drop in blood pressure. Your doctor will closely monitor your patient’s blood pressure and take steps to keep it stable.
Long-term effects and misconceptions
of
general anesthesia
Although general anesthesia may cause some short-term side effects, there are some misconceptions about the long-term effects of general anesthesia. For example, it has been suggested that general anesthesia can damage the brain and cause memory loss or cognitive decline. In fact, current research shows that for most people, the effects of general anesthesia on cognitive function and memory are temporary, and these functions are usually gradually restored as anesthetic drugs are metabolized and excreted. However, for some specific surgeries or long periods of anesthesia, the recovery time may be longer.
How to Prevent Side Effects
of General Anesthesia
Preoperative assessment and preparation: Detailed preoperative assessment of the patient’s physical condition and medical history, to understand whether the patient has a history of allergies or other high-risk factors. According to the evaluation results, doctors can choose the appropriate anesthetic drugs and dosage, and formulate individualized anesthesia programs.
Psychological preparation: Patients should be psychologically prepared to understand the relevant knowledge of surgery and anesthesia, and reduce tension and anxiety. Adequate communication with doctors to understand their physical condition and surgical risks will help to reduce the psychological burden. Reasonable diet and work and rest: keep reasonable diet and work and rest habits before operation to avoid the influence of excessive fatigue and bad living habits on the operation.
Preoperative fasting and water deprivation are important measures to prevent vomiting and aspiration during anesthesia.
Postoperative care: Postoperative patients should follow the doctor’s advice, take medicine on time, return regularly for review, and pay attention to the adjustment of diet and living habits. Maintaining good living habits, such as moderate exercise and balanced diet, will help the body recover.
Treatment of
specific symptoms: appropriate measures can be taken to alleviate the discomfort symptoms that may occur after operation, such as headache and muscle soreness. For example, headaches can be prevented by maintaining good posture and avoiding prolonged lowering of the head or excessive movement of the head; muscle soreness can be relieved by doing some gentle stretching exercises and proper massage, hot or cold compresses. Misunderstanding
of General Anesthesia and Death
General anesthesia can cause the patient to lose consciousness and suppress vital signs to some extent, but this does not mean that the patient has died. General anesthesia is to provide a painless and safe surgical environment, and doctors will maintain the vital signs and safety of patients through professional techniques and monitoring means. During anesthesia, doctors will closely monitor the patient’s vital signs such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, and take appropriate measures when needed. Therefore, general anesthesia is a very safe surgical method, and patients need not worry too much. Although general anesthesia may bring some side effects, these side effects can be effectively prevented or alleviated through preoperative assessment and preparation, psychological preparation, reasonable diet and rest, postoperative care and treatment of specific symptoms. In modern medicine, general anesthesia is a safe and effective surgical method, and patients can choose it safely.
