What are the effects of epidural anesthesia

Epidural anesthesia – method of pain relief for child birth, due to which blocks pain only in the lower part of the body, while the mother feels contractions and remains in the mind. Do spinal anesthesia using injections into the spine.

Epidural anesthesia in childbirth and its positive aspects

Spinal anesthesia in childbirth does not affect the consciousness of the child's mother or loosening of the absolute loss of of pain. Proved no influence of epidural anesthesia on the fetus. With this method of anesthesia accelerates the process of childbirth, if the slowdown is caused by the anxiety of the mother (blocks the production of stress hormones – adrenaline and noradrenaline). Epidural anesthesia has a beneficial effect on pregnant women with high blood pressure.

Epidural anesthesia: effects

The tasks of the anesthesiologist is responsible for preventing side reactions during the procedure anesthesia. Despite the fact that the risk of developing serious complications after epidural anaesthesia is small, in some cases, to avoid side effects is not possible.

Spinal anesthesia during childbirth can cause heaviness in the legs, numbness, tremors. After the time of action of the drug, this reaction disappears.

For pregnant women with low blood pressure can be dangerous realize this kind of anesthesia due to its hypotonic effect, but the anesthesiologist has the opportunity to introduce a special drugs that increase blood pressure.
The possible occurrence of allergic reactions, so pregnant it is important to alert the attending physician about what drugs she's allergic.

In rare cases, epidural anesthesia can cause breathing problems due to the effects of drugs on the muscles of the chest, oxygen in this case, it is possible through the mask, and this side effect disappears simultaneously with the termination of anesthesia.

Getting into the venous bloodstream of a drug used for spinal anesthesia, may interfere with the functioning of the heart, to cause loss of consciousness. The risk of complications is small, as before the introduction of the drugs the anesthesiologist is satisfied that the needle is not in vein.
It happens that the use of epidurals during childbirth does not give the expected effect, then the dose may be increased, or used another method of pain relief.

It happens that during installation of the catheter, the new mother feels a sense of lumbago in the back, but it is very fast and does not cause further discomfort.

After delivery with spinal analgesia possibly keeping back pain at the site of needle placement, but in most cases they quickly pass.

Some mothers noted the appearance of headaches after epidural anesthesia. They can be related to the fact that the catheter is entered during setup then the epidural space. To reduce the risk of complications during puncture should not move.

Spinal anesthesia has side effects such as nerve damage, paralysis of lower extremities, bleeding into the epidural space, but the risk of their development is negligible.