Which people should not get anesthesia?

Certain people should not get anesthesia. These people would include those who have had plastic surgery and their eyes do not close completely, which puts them at risk for damage to the eyes. People with comorbid conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes have to be medically cleared for general anesthesia. Some people have allergies specifically to anesthetic agents.

Allergic reactions range from skin rashes, hives, breathing problems, and malignant hyperthermia. If you have apnea, you might be admitted overnight to be observed to ensure that the medications prescribed control pain management issues will allow your anesthesiologist to develop a specific plan of care for your post-operative pain treatment. Nicotine can make patients more or less susceptible to anesthetics.

Anesthesia is generally very safe. Some people may experience side effects in some cases where they will experience nausea, chills, vomiting, or mental confusion, but this is not serious. Most who need to be more concerned about taking anesthesia are those with heart disease, neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and those with unusual conditions to which the anesthesia does not react well. Elderly people are also more sensitive to the effects of Anesthesia so they should also practice more caution.

In elderly people, especially those with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, the brain may take longer to recover from the anesthesia, and they may experience memory or learning problems. This however is very uncommon and generally anesthesia is not problematic for most people.

For this reason, people should generally talk to an anesthesiologist about their medical history before receiving anesthesia. Someone who is young, healthy, and does not have any rare conditions should not have any problems using anesthesia.