ANESTHESIA CAUSES AMNESIA.
General
anesthesia keeps you relaxed, blocks pain, and may also cause amnesia. A 2012
study published in the journal Annals of Neurology found that inhalation
anesthetics induced Alzheimer’s-like changes in the brains of adult mice. The
drug was toxic to dentate gyru — a type of cell that helps control memory and
learning. Although researchers are still unaware of the long-term effects of
anesthesia, they do know it takes at least a couple of days before you bounce
back from surgery.
2.
OLDER PATIENTS EXPOSED TO ANESTHESIA FACE UP TO A 35% INCREASED RISK OF
DEMENTIA.
Older
patients can take up to six months to return to normal after receiving
anesthesia during surgery, according to a 2013 study. Specifically, patients
are more likely to experience a small change in their mental capacity, possibly
facing a higher risk of dementia by 35 percent. Researchers believe this may be
because anesthesia causes inflammation of neural tissues that lead to postoperative
cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and/or Alzheimer’s disease precursors, such as
β-amyloid plaques.
3.
FREQUENT EXPOSURE TO ANESTHESIA DURING CHILDHOOD MAY LEAD TO NEURODEVELOPMENTAL
PROBLEMS.
Children
who are exposed to anesthesia once or multiple times for early-life surgeries
may be prone to neurodevelopmental problems. A 2012 study published in the
journal Pediatrics found that children who underwent anesthetic surgeries
before the age of 3 were twice as likely to develop learning disabilities, including
long-term language and reasoning deficits, before the age of 10. However, there
were no observed differences when it came to behavior, visual tracking, and
attention, or fine and gross motor function. This suggests not all cognitive
domains are affected by anesthesia the same way.
4.
ANESTHESIA DOES NOT ACTUALLY 'PUT TO SLEEP.'
Anesthesiologists
often tell their patients they will be “put to sleep,” but the truth is they’re
being put in a reversible coma. Researchers found a fully anesthetized brain is
not unlike the deeply unconscious, low-brain activity seen in coma patients
compared to a person who’s just asleep, according to a 2010 study published in
the New England Journal of Medicine. These states all represent brain regions
that have common circuit mechanisms, such as the cortex — located in the outer
edge of the brain — and the thalamus — located at the center of the brain.
These regions communicate with each other to determine brain activity in
patients under anesthesia.
5.
YOU CAN WAKE UP DURING SURGERY.
Patients
under anesthesia can wake up during surgery, also known as “anesthesia
awareness.” This rare condition occurs when patients are able to recall their
surroundings or an event, such as pressure or pain, related to their surgery
while under anesthesia, according to the American Association of Nurse
Anesthetists. However, surgeons do use brain-monitoring devices to measure
their patients’ consciousness as a means to reduce the risk of this happening.
6.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE A RARE ALLERGIC REACTION TO ANESTHETIC AGENTS.
Patients
can have a potentially fatal allergic reaction when inhaling anesthesia, known
as malignant hyperthermia, even if they have no previous history of the
reaction. MedlinePlus reported that the disease, which is passed down through
families, causes a fast rise in body temperature and severe muscle contractions
when the patient inhales. Patients may also experience bleeding, dark brown
urine, and muscle ache without an obvious cause, among others.
7.
REDHEADS DO NOT REQUIRE MORE ANESTHESIA TO GET NUMB.
Redheads
were previously thought to require higher doses of anesthesia due to having a
specific gene called melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R). This gene was believed to
decrease a patient’s sensitivity to anesthetics, until a 2012 study published
in the journal Anaesthesia and Intensive Care proved otherwise. Researchers
found there were no differences in anesthetic administration, POCD pain, nausea
and vomit
By
Kokilavaani
III
B.Sc.,
Department of Biochemistry
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