Learn About Benzocaine

Don't let this pain relief treatment get away from you. Dealing with sore throat pain? Throat sprays with benzocaine will make this disappear! It's even a great treatment for ingrown toenails. Ladies, it'll work on irritated skin and hemorrhoids too. Of course, understanding this med is crucial. You have to know how it works before using it as a treatment for minor pain or before a medical procedure!

How It Works

Ladies, this one's a popular topical medication! Benzocaine comes as an ointment, cream, gel, or even a spray! It numbs nerve endings. The result? The nerves won't send pain signals to your brain, ladies! Apply some to your skin, ladies, or affected soft tissue. The numbed nerve endings make the pain disappear. It's great for mild conditions, of course. And ladies, expect your doctor to use it before some medical procedures. It'll help numb nerves when they need to insert a speculum into your body.

It's great on its own, but this med is also an active ingredient in so many products. Benzocaine's a part of meds to remove ear wax and treat swimmer's ear! It's even put on special patches to get rid of pain in the mouth! The spray will numb the throat before a procedure and get rid of a sore throat at home.

Uses

Yes, this med's amazing for treating minor skin irritation and pain. Ladies, you'll use it for insect bites, minor scrapes, and even hemorrhoids! And yes, ladies, spray benzocaine helps with a sore throat. It's incredibly effective for all of these uses. This med will even help you get rid of itching around your genitals. However, you have to talk to a doctor about that first. It's also common for them to apply this when they need to use a speculum, ladies. It makes medical procedures with one so much more comfortable!

Benzocaine is an as-needed medication. Ladies, you apply it when you need to! But it's only for minor conditions. If you have something serious, your doctor will prescribe you something else. This one can only act as a supplement in a case like that. Not the main treatment!

Side Effects

Benzocaine has side effects, ladies. You have to know what they are to keep yourself safe! Let's start with the common side effects. They include stinging, burning, and itching where you applied this med. Dry and flaky skin patches, tenderness, and redness, also appear in this area. It these side effects appear, expect them between a few minutes to 2 hours after using this med. Avoid using too much benzocaine. This is the common reason why these effects happen!

Of course, there are severe side effects. Ladies, be aware of methemoglobinemia. It's rare, but it means fatal oxygen starvation to specific tissues. This condition happens most often after several uses of this med, but it can occur after only one! Other serious effects mean emergency medical attention, ladies. They include shortness of breath, lethargy, confusion, lightheadedness, and a fast heartbeat. You'll need this emergency care for blistering, severe burning, and swelling as well! If you see these effects, ladies, stop this med. Call your doctor next!

Precautions

Get ready to talk to your doctor, ladies. You need to do it before using benzocaine! They have to know if you've reacted to this medication before. Or any similar ones, for that matter! Your medical history is crucial also. Ladies, tell your doctor about past issues with your blood, heart disease, and breathing. Previous infections in the same area are vital for them to be aware of too. Don't leave anything out! Are you planning to be pregnant? Already pregnant? Reviews the risks of benzocaine with your doctor before taking it! If you're nursing, do the same thing. This helps you stay as safe as possible, ladies.

Potential Medication Interactions

The good news? Benzocaine doesn't have very many medication interactions at all. But some do exist! So ladies, write down all of your current meds, supplements, and vitamins. Your doctor needs this list to make sure you won't get any interactions when adding benzocaine to your list. One severe interaction exists with prilocaine. These meds are in the same class. Using both means a high risk of methemoglobinemia! Sodium nitrite also makes this risk higher, ladies. You'll have to be especially careful here. Why? It's a type of salt in your food. You might not even know how much you're getting if you don't check the label and talk to your doctor first.