Definition

Noun: * Local anesthesia is the loss of sensation (feeling) in a specific, limited area of the body. This is achieved by administering a drug called a local anesthetic, which temporarily blocks nerve signals in that particular region. The patient remains conscious and aware, but does not feel pain in the anesthetized area.

Examples

• The dentist administered local anesthesia before filling the cavity.
• Minor surgical procedures, such as stitching a cut, often require only local anesthesia.
• The patient was awake during the operation on his hand, thanks to local anesthesia.

Advanced Usage

• Under local anesthesia: Describes the state of a patient or a procedure performed using this technique.
  • The biopsy was performed under local anesthesia.
• Administration of local anesthesia: Refers to the act of giving the anesthetic.
  • The administration of local anesthesia is a routine part of many dental visits.

Variants and Related Words

• Local anesthetic (noun): The drug used to induce local anesthesia.
  • Lidocaine is a common local anesthetic.
• Locally (adverb): In the context of anesthesia, it means to a specific area.
  • The drug is applied locally to numb the skin.

Synonyms

• Regional anesthesia (though this often refers to numbing a larger area, like an entire limb)
• Nerve block

Antonyms

• General anesthesia (which causes complete unconsciousness)
• Systemic anesthesia

Related Phrases

• Topical anesthesia: A surface-level numbing, often a cream or spray, considered a type of local anesthesia.
  • A topical anesthesia was applied to the skin before the injection.

Noun

1. loss of sensation in a small area of the body (as when a local anesthetic is injected for a tooth extraction)