Are local anesthetics painful?
On One Hand: Local Anesthetics’ Effects on PainThe process of local anesthesia involves administering numbing drugs, or anesthetics, to a specific part of the body of an alert patient to perform a medical procedure. Local anesthetics do not cause pain. Rather, they remove the sensation of pain, says Medscape.On the Other: Other Sources of PainAnesthetic drug delivery methods include skin application, injection and nasal sprays. Pain during local anesthesia is typically associated with injection techniques, according to Medscape. The Merck Manuals of Medical Information also indicates that, in rare cases, a person may experience numbness, tingling or pain in the numbed area for days or weeks after a procedure. Pain, in such cases, may result from excessive exposure to anesthetics, says eMedicine.Bottom LineLocal anesthetics, by definition, numb specific areas of the body, thereby reducing pain in those areas.
