What if after anaesthesia headache

Many patients who undergo the surgery I asked the doctor whether the post-anesthesia headache and what to do if this happens. General anesthesia is not a harmless agent.

Types of anaesthesia and headache

Complications of anesthesia

On the one hand, this freedom from pain during surgery, and any complications arising thereafter. Still anesthetised patient may occur early complication – cerebral coma, is able to end with death. This happens infrequently, but the probability exists.

By late complications of anesthesia include the following:

  • headaches, get rid of them is impossible to any medicines;
  • strong dizziness, not stopping for days;
  • panic attacks, manifested every day;
  • partial amnesia
  • cramps in feet
  • high heart rate and blood pressure, and other disruptions of heart muscle
  • pain in the liver, kidney, i.e. In those organs that cleanse all the organs from toxic substances.

They appear gradually over several weeks or months after surgery.

Local pain

the Impact of anesthesia on the brain

For surgical anesthesiologists use different anesthesia depending on the characteristics of the patient.

With surgery on internal organs located above the diaphragm (it separates the chest and abdominal cavity), the patient is given anesthesia with artificial lung ventilation.

If operated heart, then used the advanced system of artificial blood circulation. Anesthetics are administered intravenously or by inhalation of air. Additionally, it may be carried out with spinal or epidural anesthesia. They differ in the input method of the medicines. Both methods are considered to be gentle.

anesthesia

The Anesthesia affects the brain complications in the form of impaired memory, reduced ability to study, deterioration of concentration of attention. Patients are very concerned about this. They want to know how long will stay this condition and what to do to improve it. But no anesthesiologist would not be able to answer these questions.

Disorders of memory typical for most patients. For example, after cardiac surgeries they occur in about half of patients. Some researchers write that memory impairment persists for a long time, about a year or more.

Doctors cannot come to a General conclusion about which method of anesthesia causes the least amount of complications. More and more experts believe that the negative effects associated with the transportation of oxygen to the brain during surgery. And it depends on the individual characteristics of the patient.

But the doctors found some of the reasons that can cause postoperative complications. It is primarily the repeated anesthesia. Older age and long duration of the operation also refer to the risk factors of complications. This includes low education of the patient. But all is not hopeless. Modern drugs can help to restore lost functions of the brain.

Causes of headaches after surgery

This complication after anesthesia is the most common. Very often the culprit is spinal anesthesia. About 30% of patients undergoing this type of anesthesia, suffer minor headaches, and 1% is very strong. Headaches after surgery in patients continuing from a few days to several months.

Spinal anesthesia is performed in the form of a perforation of the meninges that surrounds the spinal cord itself. The puncture is made with a special spinal needle. The fluid contained between the shell and the brain will expire after a puncture. This leads to a reduction of pressure within the brain and is the cause of pain in the head. Of particular importance is the diameter of a puncture. The smaller it is, the less fluid flows. The pressure does not change so abruptly and headaches are manifested not so obviously.

Spinal anesthesia and headache

The size of the puncture can be made smaller if to use modern needles. But they are very expensive, so in many medical institutions use old samples. To prevent the pain is quite simple. You must use the needles of modern production and of small diameter. In addition, help and bed rest immediately after surgery. It should lie horizontally, not using the pillows. The patient should drink plenty of fluids.

If after anesthesia headaches bearable, particular therapy the patient is not required. But if they last more than a day, is appointed special treatment. The patient is required to lie constantly and to drink plenty of fluids. As the painkillers are paracetamol or ibuprofen.

Suchmeasures may not be enough. Therefore, in special cases assigned to epidural blood patch, which makes the anesthesiologist. The technology of its execution is as follows. In the back area where the anesthetic is injected taken from a vein the blood in small quantities. Curling up, she closes the needle puncture, and the headache caused by the anesthesia passes.

It also Happens that one patch is not enough, that is, the pain does not stop. In this case, the procedure is repeated, which helps almost always.

Epidural patch in addition to the positive impact has complications like infections, bleeding, sensory disturbance of limbs. Sometimes develop pain in the back chronic type.

Use of folk remedies

Any anesthesia is primarily intoxication of all organs and tissues. So it's understandable why the patient suffers from headaches. You need to excrete all the harmful substances remaining after anesthesia. Effective means in this case is pure water, preferably biologically active. Doctors suggest that you approximate the norm 30 ml per 1 kg of body weight. Thus it is not necessary to consider the liquid taken with food (for example, the amount of soup is not included).

the Use of water for headache

It is Known that the liver serves as a filter of the whole body. Therefore, it is necessary to revitalize it. For this prepare decoctions of cholagogue herbs. They are good for pasture and urine. All this will help to release the vessels from harmful substances.

These substances are bad and the brain. Doctors usually prescribe medications to help. But after the course you can try to take homeopathic remedies, such as barite carbonica, Passiflora and some other. Taken drugs for a long time, at least 3 months. Folk healers, like doctors, are advised to do physical exercises, swimming. If not tormented by the pressure and at the moment a headache, then a good bath. And massage is necessary.

Important and the psychological factor. Many healers associate dizziness after anesthesia with thoughts of the patient. You must learn to control yourself, not to rush through life and focus on what's really important at this time.

Sources:

  1. Wayne A. Headache // Journal of neurology and psychiatry. S. S. Korsakov, 1996.- Vol. 36.- No. 3, pp. 5-7.
  2. Wayne A., Kolosova O. A. Headache and migraine // Top. Medicine, 1997.- No. 2.- S. 13-16. Vershinina S. V., Kolosova O. A., Voznesenskaya T. G. Clinico-neurophysiological correlations in migraine // neurology and psychiatry. S. S. Korsakov, 1996.- T. 96.- No. 3.- pp. 38-40.
  3. Wessely P. A Unified international diagnostic criteria headache // Top. Medicine, 1996.- No. 21.- p. 16-17.
  4. Gerhard Libjogl. Migraine – the disease of the century // Bulletin of the folk medicine of Russia, 1996.- No. 2, pp. 33-36.
  5. Gorbach I. N. Diagnostic criteria in neurology: sintomatico. Mn, 1997.