World Anaesthesia Day 2022: What Is Anaesthesia And How It Works? Know Here

World Anaesthesia Day is observed on October 16. The day is meant to raise awareness about the importance of anaesthesia in healthcare. The day commemorates first successful demonstration of ether anesthesia by William Thomas Green Morton (1819-1868) on October 16, 1846. It was done in Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, USA. The day is considered to be significant in the history of medicine. The discovery helped patients undergo surgical treatment without any pain.

World Anaesthesia Day 2022: What is anaesthesia?

Anaesthesia is given to patients before a surgery or any other medical procedure which is likely to be painful in nature. It is given to patients so that the surgery or medical procedure can be done safely without any pain.

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An anaesthetic induces unconsciousness during surgery. The medicine can either be inhaled through a breathing mask or tube, or it can be given through an intravenous line. A breathing tube may be inserted into the windpipe in order to maintain proper breathing throughout the surgery.

The medicine results in loss of sensation. People under anaesthetic tend to lose feelings of pain and other sensations. For instance, an anaesthesia numbs sensations around the tooth during a dental treatment. The more powerful ones cause unconsciousness. These are used during complex surgeries.

How does anaesthesia work?

Drugs used in anaesthesia work by blocking signals which pass along nerves to the brain. When the drugs wear off, one begins to feel the normal sensations again.

There are three kinds of anaesthesia: local, regional and general.

• Local anaesthesia numbs only a small area of the body. It can prevent pain during procedures like tooth pull, stitches in deep cut or mole removal.
• Regional anaesthesia is one which suppresses pain and movement in larger areas of the body. It leaves one fully conscious, able to talk and answer questions. Epidural during childbirth is one example.
• General anaesthesia is one which affects the whole body. It makes one unconscious and unable to move. This one is used during time-consuming, major operations. When given in smaller doses, general anaesthesia can induce twilight sleep, in which a person feels sedated, relaxed and unlikely to know what's going on.

A few factors are looked into before once is given anaesthesia. These include: body temperature, breathing rate, blood pressure, fluid levels and blood oxygen levels.

Depending on these measurements, a patient may be given more fluids or blood if required.

Once the surgery is done, anaesthesia medicine is stopped. The patient is taken to a recovery room. Doctors and nurses ensure that the patient is not in pain and is not experience and problems after the surgery.

The patient may feel drowsy on waking up from anaesthesia. Dry mouth, sore throat, sleepiness, muscle aches, confusion (in older people) and shivering are some symptoms that one experiences.

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