Local Anaesthesia

Local Anaesthesia, strictly speaking, means putting local anesthetic ("freezing") around the affected area to make it pain free. Technically speaking, local anesthetics are drugs that block sensory and motor nerve conduction to produce temporary loss of sensation without loss of consciousness. The loss of sensation is restricted to the area where the injection is applied. The other areas of the body are not anaesthetized. Local anesthetics are readily absorbed through mucous membranes and damaged skin. For certain procedures, adding adrenaline prolongs the duration of action.