Anesthesia is a combination of drugs that can either put you to sleep for a surgical procedure or numb an area of the body. General anesthesia, or as some people refer to it, "going under," makes you sleep through surgery without pain. Local anesthetics and spinal anesthetics are used during minor medical procedures and childbirth to reduce the amount of pain that you're feeling. Anesthesia can leave you groggy and feeling some side effects that are generally short-lived.
Headache
Headache is a common side effect that people who have had general or spinal anesthesia may experience. The Anesthesia Service Medical Group (ASMG) estimates that up to 10 percent of people who have been anesthetized get headaches after the medication has worn off.
Nausea
Nausea and vomiting are side effects of general anesthesia that affect up to 33 percent of people coming out of anesthesia, according to the ASMG.
Itching
Women who have had epidurals during childbirth may experience intense itching after the birth. The itching is a side effect of the medication given by the anesthesiologist.
Urinary Problems
People who have had spinal anesthesia may have a hard time urinating after the medication has worn off. This condition usually resolves itself within a day.
Low Blood Pressure
Blood pressure can fall during the time that an anesthetic is being administered, and may continue to be lower-than-normal for a short time after surgery. Dizziness may be another side effect that goes hand in hand with low pressure readings.
Sore Throat
People receiving a general anesthetic may have a sore throat when they wake up. The discomfort is mainly due to having a tube placed in the airway.
