ANESTHESIA
Anesthesia is used in surgery to minimize pain, discomfort, and shock for surgical patients. There are several types that can be used depending on the needs of the surgery: general, local, regional, and conscious sedation. When anesthesia works as expected, the patient feels no pain during a procedure, and often does not remember the proceedings either. It increases patient comfort, which can in turn reduce recovery times. With the knowledge that they are not inflicting pain, it also makes it easier for a medical staff to work.
When anesthesia comes to mind, most people think of general anesthesia. This type is a complete loss of consciousness in the patient accomplished through a combination of injected and inhaled drugs. It is often used for highly invasive surgeries, or cases when total relaxation of the patient is required. General anesthesia carries the most surgical risk because of the state of complete unconsciousness. As a result, the anesthesiologist will manage the patient carefully throughout surgery.
The exact mechanism through which general anesthesia works is unclear. It is believed that the anesthetics act on the brain to produce unconsciousness, and on the nerves and spinal cord to promote immobility and reduce pain. This type is maintained through carefully monitored administration of additional inhaled drugs throughout the surgery.
Local anesthesia involves injected drugs which numb a small area. Many patients have experienced a local anesthetic in the form of Novocaine, which is used in dental applications. Local anesthetics are used when the patient would feel pain, but doesn't need to be unconscious. Any small, localized procedure such as setting stitches is suitable for the local type.
Regional anesthesia is similar to local, except that it covers a wider area of the body. It works by blocking nerve impulses, and is often used during labor and delivery in the form of an epidural. Sometimes, regional anesthesia is used for long term pain management in individuals who experience chronic lower body pain. It allows doctors to block sensations to the entire lower body, or single limbs.
Conscious sedation is an anesthesia practice where the patient remains conscious, but is fully relaxed, does not feel pain, and will not usually remember the experience. This type is useful in situations where patients need to cooperate with medical staff, or when a procedure is not serious enough to warrant putting them to sleep. In cases where a patient is not stable enough for general anesthesia, conscious sedation may be used.
Anesthesia is a vital part of surgical practice, allowing doctors to operate safely and painlessly on patients. The wide variety of anesthetics available allows anesthesiologists to select the most suitable type and anesthetic drug for the patient. Many people will experience some form during their lifetime, and will appreciate the lack of pain associated with it.
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2. Answear the questions
1.When is anesthesia used?
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2.What types of anesthesia do you know?
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3. What is local anesthesia?
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4. What is regional anesthesia?
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5. What is conscious sedation?
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Read and translate the text.
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is defined as any health practice that takes the place of, or is incompatible with, conventional Western medicine. Distinction must be made between alternative medicine and complementary medicine. Complementary medicine may involve nontraditional medical practices, but is undertaken along with traditional healing approaches. Alternative medicine implies using only nontraditional methods.
Alternative medicine includes a broad range of practices. Some healing therapies are based on Ancient Chinese beliefs, like acupuncture and the use of certain herbal compounds. Others focus on Hindu, or Ayurvedic, therapies including diet changes, the practice of yoga, and emphasizing the connection of mind, body, and spirit.
Mind, body, and spirit healing is also championed as holistic health, and can be alternative or complementary. Dr. Deepak Chopra, for example, practices medicine in this way, leaning more toward alternative than conventional thinking, although he holds a Western medical degree. His teachings have been hotly contested in the medical community.
Some other examples of alternative medicine include massage, meditation, chiropractic techniques and practice, spiritual healing, exercise practices like Tai Chi, and aromatherapy. This is just a short list of an almost inexhaustible supply of alternative therapies. Many people use some form of alternative medicine when they take vitamins or herbal supplements without consulting a doctor. For example, many people who contract a cold use Airborne, a nutritional supplement, instead of seeing a doctor. With no traditional medical advice, the user of Airborne practices alternative medicine.
Alternative practitioners can often point to thousands of years of anecdotal evidence that suggests certain alternative practices are successful. The Western medical community largely stands opposed to such practices, but as complementary medicine has advanced, there are now medical schools that teach alternative methods. Many physicians now embrace complementary medicine because it creates more options for addressing a medical condition.
Some people turn to alternative medicine when the traditional medical community can offer them no help or cure for a condition. Again, anecdotal evidence suggests that certain therapies may help to improve quality of life for these people. Western physicians acknowledge the more established methods of alternative medicine and recommend alternative therapies for patients they cannot help through traditional medicine. While some physicians remain skeptical, alternative medicine is often looked upon as a last resort strategy.
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Unfortunately, most health insurance companies do not provide coverage of alternative medicine of any kind. If one is lucky, chiropractic care may be included in a health plan. Generally, though, one has to pay for acupuncture, yoga classes, nutritional supplements or any other alternative therapy. Caution should be observed when embarking on an alternative medicine health plan, because most governments do not regulate alternative practices, and as with traditional medicine, there are some unscrupulous or unqualified practitioners.
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2.Translate key word combinations
1.Alternative medicine - _________________________________
2.Complementary medicine - ___________________________________
3. Healing approach - _________________________________
4.Medical condition - _________________________________
5. Established methods - _________________________________
6. Take vitamins - __________________________________
7. Medical community - __________________________________
8. Some people - __________________________________
9. Western physicians - __________________________________
10. Some healing - ___________________________________
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