Loss of feeling in a single part of the body.
Loss of sensation produced in a part of the body in order to stop pain while a person is examined, investigated or treated. The anaesthesia is effected by giving drugs in a local area temporarily to stop the action of pain-carrying nerve fibres. To anaesthetise a large area, a nerve block is done. Various drugs are used, depending on the depth and length of local anaesthesia required.
In order to alleviate pain during various medical procedures, examinations, and surgeries, a targeted area of the body may undergo a loss of sensation. This is achieved through the application of local anesthesia, wherein specific drugs are administered to temporarily interrupt the functioning of pain-conducting nerve fibers.
Topical application of local anesthetics is a common practice before injections or blood tests, especially for children. These anesthetics are available in various forms such as sprays, skin creams, and ointments. For specific procedures, the throat, larynx (voice-box), and respiratory passages can be sprayed with an anesthetic prior to bronchoscopy—an examination of the bronchi, the main airways of the lungs, using a rigid or flexible viewing tube. Similarly, the urethra can be numbed with a gel before cystoscopy, which involves examining the urethra and bladder using a rigid or flexible viewing tube.
For minor surgical procedures such as the stitching of small wounds, local anesthesia is typically achieved through direct injection into the targeted area. In cases where a larger area needs to be anesthetized or when the local injection cannot penetrate deeply into the body tissues, a nerve block may be employed. This involves injecting the local anesthetic around nerves at a distant point from the treatment area. Alternatively, nerve impulses can be blocked at their branching points from the spinal cord, as seen in the usage of epidural anesthesia during childbirth or caudal block, as well as spinal anesthesia for surgeries involving the lower limbs and abdomen.
While serious reactions are infrequent, it is important to note that repeated use of topical preparations can potentially lead to the development of local allergic rashes.