Contents:
- Medical Video: Anaesthesia | What Is An Epidural? | StreamingWell.com
- What is epidural injection?
- 1. Ordinary epidural injections
- 2. Combination of epidural spinal
- Side effects of epidural injections are common
- Side effects of serious epidural injections
Medical Video: Anaesthesia | What Is An Epidural? | StreamingWell.com
Epidural injections are generally given to mothers who want to give birth or give birth. It aims to launch a labor process that is known to be sick and full of struggle for mothers. However, before deciding to use an epidural injection, you need to know in advance what side effects epidural injections might have for postpartum mothers. In addition, are there other risks that can occur? Look carefully at the following review.
What is epidural injection?
Epidural injection is one form of local anesthetic injection that aims to numb certain parts of your body. The epidural will not make you lose consciousness completely, because its function is only to offer pain (analgesia). When you are given an epidural, sensory nerve impulses in your spine will be stopped.
The sensory nerve is responsible for sending various signals to the brain, such as pain or heat. As a result, the sensation or pain that you should feel at the bottom of the body, more precisely in the uterus, cervix, and the upper part of the vagina will decrease. However, your motor nerves will still work properly so the brain can still send commands to the pelvis and other body parts to contract.
There are two types of epidural injections before giving birth. You can read more about the following.
1. Ordinary epidural injections
This type of ordinary epidural injection is given by injecting into the mother's back to give birth through the back muscle, until the analgesia reaches the epidural cavity. Epidurals usually contain drugs that will strengthen anesthesia, such as fentanyl or morphine. If the epidural effect begins to decrease within one to two hours, the mother will get the next injection.
2. Combination of epidural spinal
In a combination of epidural spinal injections, anesthesia is usually injected into the membrane that lines the spine to reach the epidural cavity. Then, a hose or catheter will be installed on the path so that it is easier to inject again if the mother gives birth.
Mothers who want to give birth can still move freely after the catheter is installed so that it will not interfere with the labor process. The combination of epidural spines will usually begin to lose their effects after four to eight hours.
Side effects of epidural injections are common
Sometimes, a person will feel numbness, tingling or weakening movements in areas of the body that previously received epidural injections. Side effects of epidural injections that make weak movements and numbness in parts of the body will disappear slowly in accordance with the fading of the injection anesthesia.
The side effects of epidural injections during childbirth can also cause nerve damage caused by contact with a needle or epidural tube called an epidural catheter. Luckily, these symptoms are rarely known and the effects are not too pronounced.
But if it occurs, these side effects are generally more often caused by factors not related to the epidural injection itself. This effect can be caused by pressure on the nerves in the pelvis when the baby is born or nerve pressure because it maintains a certain body position for a long time during surgery.
There is no treatment for these minor epidural side effects, and usually will heal itself in the next few months.
Side effects of serious epidural injections
It is rare to find any serious side effects of epidural injections during childbirth. The reason, this type of injection has been declared safe for maternity.
However, there are some risks that might occur. Examples are weakening or paralysis of certain body parts, changes in bowel function, or even the bladder.
These side effects are caused by very rare complications, such as bleeding or infection in the epidural space, which causes epidural hematomas or abscess (accumulation of pus). Pressure from the accumulation of blood or pus damages the spinal cord and surrounding nerves can also make the risk of epidural injections occur.
