What Is Benzocaine?
Benzocaine is a numbing medication. It may be sold under a wide range of brand names. It should help block an individual's nerves from sending the brain pain signals. The effect should be stopping the brain from processing pain. Although most individuals can use this medication, it does not seem to be approved for children under two years old.
This medication appears to be an effective option for pain relief treatment. Individuals may be able to use spray benzocaine as a sore throat treatment. Topical benzocaine also appears to be a treatment for hemorrhoids, ingrown toenails, and injuries. Some doctors may use it before medical tests and procedures. However, patients may wish to understand details about this medication first.
How It Should Work
Individuals should be able to find benzocaine as a cream, ointment, gel, or spray. Typically, this medication is applied to the skin. In the case of the spray form, it may be sprayed on the skin, but it seems to be more common as a sore throat treatment. This medication may numb nerve endings. With numb nerve endings, the nerves should not send the brain pain signals. This medication may be of use for mild conditions. Doctors can also choose to use it for some medical procedures.
Patients may also find benzocaine in other products as an active ingredient. This may include medication to treat swimmer's ear or remove excess ear wax. Patches with this medication may help deal with pain inside the mouth. Lozenges can numb the throat and reduce pain.
Learn about the potential uses for this medication next.
Potential Uses
Individuals may be able to use benzocaine for insect bites, minor burns, and minor scrapes. It seems to be appropriate for minor pain and itching from hemorrhoids as well. As mentioned, it is possible to use this medication to relieve a sore throat if it is the spray form. Sometimes patients can apply this medication to try to get rid of itching around the genitals. Doctors may also choose to apply this medication before using a speculum or tube during a medical procedure or test.
Benzocaine does not seem to be able to treat serious conditions. Patients may only use this medication according to directions as well. They should consider cleaning the affected area well before applying it. This should help the medicine do the work it needs to do. It may also be worth understanding that this medication may be used alongside others to treat other issues. It can help reduce irritation as needed.
Keep reading to uncover the possible side effects of this medication next.
Possible Side Effects
This medication appears to have a variety of possible side effects. The most common ones that patients may deal with are itching, stinging, and burning. This is typically around the application site. Patients may also experience dry skin, flaky skin, redness, and tenderness. Although these side effects can be mild, others may be fairly serious. This seems to include methemoglobinemia, a serious condition that can involve fatal oxygen starvation in some of the body's tissues. It may be possible for patients to experience this after one use. However, it seems to be more common after several applications. Symptoms of this condition may occur from a few minutes after application to a few hours later.
There also appears to be a few side effects that require emergency medical attention. These side effects include lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and a fast heartbeat. Other serious side effects may include lethargy, off-color skin and lips, as well as allergic reaction symptoms. Patients may need to stop using this medication immediately if they see swelling, blistering, or severe burning. If any of these happen, patients may want to call their doctor immediately.
Get some details on precautions patients may need to consider with this medication next.
Precautions To Consider
Individuals may want to review many aspects of their health with their doctor before using this medication. This may include denoting any reactions to benzocaine or similar medicines in the past. A complete medical history may also be needed. Doctors should know if their patient has dealt with heart disease, blood issues, or breathing problems. Patients may also be asked about past infections in the area that may need this medication. As mentioned, this medication may be used during medical procedures. If this is the case, patients may need to review their list of current medications with their doctor beforehand.
Some reports seem to indicate that there can be some risk with using this medication while pregnant. Thus, women may want to talk about this with their doctor. There could also be risks related to breast milk, though there does not seem to be any studies on this. Either way, doctors may need to talk about this with their doctor as well.
Read about the potential medication interactions next.
Potential Medication Interactions
Medications often come with interactions, since certain combinations can reduce their function or cause serious consequences. Thankfully, it appears as if benzocaine has few medication interactions. This is likely because it is typically used as a topical medication rather than an oral one. However, some interactions do seem to exist. Benzocaine may interact with prilocaine or sodium nitrite.
The former of the two is also in the same medication class as benzocaine. Thus, using these medications at the same time may increase an individual's risk of fatal oxygen deprivation and the condition that can cause it. This interaction appears to be more frequent among patients with preexisting conditions and younger patients. Sodium nitrite may also increase this risk. However, this substance can be found in an individual's diet. Thus, they may be dealing with it more than they realize.
