The Side Effects Of Anesthesia Depend On What Type Of Anesthesia You Receive.
The effects of anesthesia depend on what type of anesthesia you receive. Most side effects of anesthesia are minor and temporary, though there are some more serious effects to be aware of and prepare for in advance.
How can you lower your risk of side effects?
Before your surgery, meet with your dentist to discuss your medical history, health habits and lifestyle. This meeting is also a good time for you to ask questions and learn what to expect. If you decide on IV Sedation there is an appointment prior to surgery called the Pre Op. The purpose of this appointment is to gather information and vitals to prepare for the day or surgery.
Local anesthesia is the least likely anesthesia to cause side effects. If there are any effects they are typically very minor. You may be sore or experience itching where the medication was injected. A rapid heart rate can develop for a few minutes after the administration of local anesthesia as well. This is due to epinephrine (adrenaline) which is one of the main components. If you’ve had a reaction to local anesthesia in the past, be sure to tell your dentist. You may be given a different type of anesthetic or a medication to counteract the side effects.
IV sedation. Potential side effects of sedation include drowsiness, headache, nausea and dry mouth. These side effects usually go away within a day. Because levels of sedation vary, it’s important to be monitored during surgery to make sure you don’t experience complications.
- Drowsiness is the most common side effect since it is the purpose of IV sedation is to relax. It can take 24-48 hours for the medications to fully exit your system. It is suggested that you get plenty of sleep after your sedation procedure to help the body heal and recover as soon as possible.
- Dry mouth is due to various factors including the suction, having your mouth open for a long period of time, gauze used in mouth to dry areas, and the medications themselves also cause dry mouth.
- Nausea and vomiting is much more likely if you do not follow the no food or drink guidelines. Some patients are at higher risk such as patients who have motion sickness, history of families who wake up from anesthesia with nausea, females, and younger patients.
- Crying or teary eyes: it is unlikely you will feel pain once the medication wears off but it’s common for patients to tear up. Adolescents and women are most at risk to experience this effect.
- Headaches are normal after surgery for many reasons. Usually it’s due to medications leaving the patient’s body or due to dehydration, low blood sugar, and since the patient has not eaten or drink anything.
- Amnesia is experienced by most patients. This can mean partial or complete memory loss during and shortly after the procedure.
General anesthesia is considered safe but has the most types of effective and potential for complications. A physician anesthesiologist should monitor you during and after your procedure in addition to the doctor performing the procedure to address any side effects and monitor in case you were to experience a serious side effect.
Side effects of general anesthesia can include:
Side effects of general anesthesia can include:
- Nausea and vomiting – This very common side effect can occur within the first few hours or days after surgery and can be triggered by a number of factors, such as the medication, motion and the type of surgery.
- Sore throat – The tube that is placed in your throat to help you breathe while you’re unconscious can leave you with a sore throat after it’s removed.
- Confusion or delirium – Confusion when regaining consciousness after surgery is common. You may feel disoriented and have problems remembering or focusing.
- Muscle aches – The medications used to relax your muscles to be able to insert breathing tubes can cause soreness.
- Itching is a common side effect of narcotics that are often used in general anesthesia.
- Chills and shivering – This occurs in up to half of patients as they regain consciousness after surgery, and it might be related to body temperature.
- Fractured Teeth- This can happen due to pressure from the intubation tube on the teeth and is more common when teeth have previous decay and restorations.
