After-effects of anesthesia

Introduction

An operation and the associated anaesthesia is a particular strain on the body, which is why the body can react accordingly after such a procedure. These after-effects of anesthesia can vary greatly from person to person, both in number and intensity. Complications can occur in the area of the cardiovascular system, but nausea and hoarseness are much more common, and delirium can occur especially in older people. Pain is almost always an unwanted companion in the postoperative phase, but it is eliminated by the specialists on site if possible.

Typical after-effects

In the area of the cardiovascular system, an increase in the heart rate can occur, which is perceived as a so-called “palpitations”. The blood pressure can also cause problems in both directions. High blood pressure is very often not noticed by the patient.

If it is, it can manifest itself as dizziness, headaches, nervousness, ringing in the ears or tiredness, etc. The symptoms of low blood pressure can be very similar. Dizziness, headaches, tiredness and shortness of breath can also occur.

Before these symptoms are noticed, they are usually already combated, as the patient is closely monitored in the recovery room and then on the ward. A common after-effect after anesthesia is the occurrence of nausea and vomiting after anesthesia, also known as PONV (postoperative nausea and vomiting). The nausea is often accompanied by paleness and cold sweat.

Especially in older patients the delirium is often feared. It can manifest itself in disturbances of consciousness and orientation or confusion, trembling, hallucinations, agitation or “restlessness” (often used as a synonym), excessive sweating and palpitations. The affect is also affected: Anxiety, tearfulness, but also euphoria and aggressiveness can occur Furthermore, there may be a strong feeling of cold and restlessness as well as hoarseness, which is due to the tube, the tube with which one is ventilated.

After anesthesia, there are very often various after-effects, which usually affect the patient for about a day. A particularly frequent after-effect after an anaesthetic is fatigue. The fatigue as an after-effect after anesthesia is caused by the fact that the drugs that are given to the patient before and during the operation so that he/she sleeps sufficiently deeply, need a certain time before they are removed (eliminated) from the body.

For this purpose, the drugs must be broken down in the liver and then eliminated through the intestines or kidneys. This takes longer for some patients and shorter for others, especially those who take sleep medication frequently and regularly. Thus many patients experience a so-called “hang-over”, in which the drugs, which are administered under anaesthesia so that the patient does not notice anything of the operation, have an even longer after-effect.

This can lead to after-effects such as tiredness, nausea or even sensations of discomfort after the anaesthesia. The fatigue is not a bad thing for many patients after the operation, because they can sleep more in the time after the operation and thus give the body time to recover from the anesthesia and the operation. Usually the fatigue lasts for about one or two days as an after-effect after the anesthesia.

It is possible, however, that the patient will be given medication after the operation to relieve the pain and make him or her a little more tired so that the body gets a lot of sleep and the healing process can be accelerated. Tiredness as an after-effect after anesthesia is therefore completely normal and even if it is perceived as disturbing for some patients, it is also a helpful after-effect of the anesthesia. However, if the fatigue persists even after a week, it is probably no longer the after-effects of the anaesthesia but the side effects of an administered drug.

This topic might also be of interest to you: Anaesthesia administration- Duration and procedureThe medications used in anaesthesia act centrally on the brain and the nervous system. This leads to the desired effects, such as unconsciousness and lack of pain sensation. Since drugs are broken down in the body in different ways, not all effects disappear at the same time as the affected person wakes up.

After waking up, the affected person is therefore often still in a state of confusion.This can be differently pronounced and also express itself differently. Some affected persons react aggressively, while others are more likely to show memory disorders. The older a person is, the stronger the after-effects of anesthesia are often and therefore the more confused they are.

Normally, the consequences subside within a few hours. In some cases, however, the confusion may last longer. In this case, doctors speak of a post-operative delirium, which can only begin a few days after the anesthesia.

Some affected persons keep this disorder permanently. Risk factors for a delirium are age, the male sex and some previous illnesses, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. The anaesthetic drugs can also cause headaches in some people after the anaesthesia.

In particular, patients who are prone to migraine attacks are more likely to have headaches after surgery. Headaches after spinal anaesthesia are a special case, as small amounts of cerebral fluid are lost and this can also cause severe headaches. In most cases, the headache is only present for a short time.

In the case of longer complaints, further clarification should be obtained from an anesthesiologist. Many drugs that act centrally on the brain have an influence on memory. Some drugs are especially known to trigger a so-called retrograde amnesia.

This means that the memory is limited shortly before the anaesthetic is administered. Sometimes people report that memory fragments come back, but in most cases a memory gap remains. This can also be used specifically to prevent traumatic experiences, such as certain treatments, from being perceived.

Nausea and vomiting are a relatively common consequence of narcosis. About one third of all patients report nausea after surgery. There are several reasons for the frequent occurrence of these consequences.

The vomiting center in our brain stem measures the concentration of toxic substances in the blood. Since the natural intake of many toxins is the gastrointestinal tract, the body reacts by vomiting. However, this does not lead to a reduction in the concentration of the drugs that the body perceives as toxins, since in this case the drugs are given directly through the blood.

Another cause can be the swallowing of blood, especially during oral surgery. The body cannot digest this and nausea and vomiting can also occur. Risk factors for drug-induced nausea are the female sex, adolescent age and known travel sickness.

As a preventive measure, the administration of antiemetics can be started during anaesthesia. These prevent or reduce the nausea. Also the renunciation of narcotic gases can reduce the risk of postoperative nausea.

There are a variety of causes for difficulties in falling asleep and sleeping through the operation, including some medications used during anesthesia. Psychological stress can also lead to sleep disorders and major surgery and anesthesia are always a strain on the body and psyche. However, reliable evidence for the cause of a sleep disorder can rarely be found.

Especially during the time in the hospital a sleep disturbance can also occur independently of the anaesthesia, because the environment and the situation can appear strange and threatening. Good sleep hygiene with a dark, not too warm bedroom and regular bedtimes can often already limit the sleep disorder. After anaesthesia, after-effects such as depression or tiredness and nausea are quite normal, but they should only occur over a short period of time and should not last longer.

In general, on the first day after the operation, typical after-effects such as increased nausea and a greater need for sleep as well as states of confusion can occur. In rare cases, the anaesthetic after-effects can lead to depression, which can be described above all as reduced drive, joylessness and an increased need to sleep with simultaneous insomnia. If a depression occurs for the first time after an operation, it is important to inform the doctors and to get help from a psychologist or psychiatrist after leaving the hospital so that the depression does not become entrenched.A slight disgruntlement after an operation is completely normal, but if the anesthesia causes a depression that lasts longer than a month, there is a risk that the patient will develop a long-lasting depression, which will then harden, making it all the more important to consult a doctor for mental problems (psychiatrist) at an early stage.

However, the depression caused by the effects of anesthesia often appears only one or two weeks after the operation and often disappears on its own as soon as the patient is back home in his familiar surroundings and has survived the stresses and strains of the operation. In general, long-lasting after-effects of anaesthesia such as depression are rather rare, but first signs such as increased fatigue or a persistent depressed mood should be taken seriously to prevent a chronification, i.e. a progression of the depression. During general anesthesia all circulatory functions, such as blood pressure, are controlled by medication.

After the medication has been discontinued, the body must first slowly take over its own tasks again. This can lead to fluctuations in blood pressure. Particularly those affected who have a high or particularly low blood pressure in their medical history and also treat it with medication have difficulty adapting after anaesthesia.

In most cases, the pressure levels off automatically after a short time. Immediately after waking up, those affected should not jump up immediately, as the blood pressure can drop for a short time and there is a danger of falling due to dizziness. General anesthesia puts the body under great stress.

The drugs act on every part of the body and have some side effects on the cells. In addition, there is also a psychological stress, since an operation and general anesthesia are always an exceptional condition. This combination can lead to slight hair loss postoperatively. However, this regulates itself and is normally only visible on increased hair in the brush and not directly at the sight of the affected person. Other theories on this type of hair loss are being discussed, but there is no evidence for them.