Frequently Asked Questions On Labor Analgesia
In general, there are two types of drugs for pain relief: 1) Analgesics and 2) Anesthetics. Analgesics lessen pain without loss of feeling or muscle movement. Anesthetics relieve pain by blocking most feeling, including pain.
Side effects are minor and include itching, nausea, vomiting, feeling drowsy, or having trouble concentrating.
Local anesthesia is the use of drugs to prevent pain in a small area of the body. The anesthetic drug is injected into the area around the nerves that carry feeling to the vagina, vulva, and perineum. Local anesthetics provide relief from pain in these areas.
Rarely, a woman may have an allergic reaction to a local anesthetic or may have nerve or heart problems if the dose given is too high. Local anesthesia rarely affects the baby.
Regional analgesia and regional anesthesia are used to lessen or block pain below the waist. They include the epidural block, spinal block, and Combined Spinal–Epidural (CSE) block. The medication includes an anesthetic that may be mixed with an opioid analgesic. The medication may be given as a single shot or through a thin tube placed in the lower back.