Analgesia
/ˌænəlˈdʒiːʒə/
nounC1
Definition
Analgesia is the condition where a person does not feel pain even though there might be something that normally causes pain. It usually happens because of special medicines or treatments that stop the pain signals in the body or brain. It helps people during surgery or when they have serious injuries.
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See It in Action
Medical condition of no pain feeling caused by medicine or treatment
- •The patient experienced analgesia after the injection.
- •Doctors use analgesia during surgeries to prevent pain.
- •Some people have natural analgesia and do not feel pain normally.
The process or effect of blocking pain in the body or brain
- •Analgesia works by stopping pain signals from reaching the brain.
- •The nurse explained how analgesia helps patients recover more comfortably.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "analgesia" like "no pain," but it is a medical or scientific word for when pain stops or is blocked.
- ✓Picture a person who hurt their hand but does not feel pain because they took medicine or got a shot.
- ✓It’s the relief feeling after a headache medicine works and the pain disappears.
- ✓Sounds like "an-al-GEE-zhuh" → Imagine "an alley" where pain goes away and you feel calm.
- ✓Think of a doctor giving a patient a shot before surgery so they don't feel pain during the operation.
- ✓NOT like "numb" (which means loss of feeling in a body part) — analgesia means specifically no pain feeling, but other feelings might still be there.
- ✓NOT like "anesthesia" (which causes loss of all feeling and sometimes unconsciousness) — analgesia only blocks pain, so the person may still be awake and feel touch.
- ✓NOT like "painkiller" (the medicine) — analgesia is the condition of no pain, painkiller is the medicine causing it.
Try Other Words
- •Pain relief: feeling less or no pain (Use in everyday situations when talking about stopping pain)
- •Numbness: loss of feeling in part of the body (Use when the body part feels no touch or sensation, not just pain)
- •Anesthesia: loss of all feeling, often with unconsciousness (Use in medical situations when full loss of feeling or sleep is needed)
- •Painkiller: medicine that reduces or stops pain (Use when talking about the drug, not the condition)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "an-" (without) + "algesia" (from Greek "algos" meaning pain) → meaning "without pain"
- •Etymology: From Greek roots meaning "lack of pain"
- •Historical development: Used in medicine to describe the lack of pain sensation, especially after the development of pain-blocking medicines
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in medical fields to describe pain-blocking conditions or effects, especially during surgery or treatment
- •Key insight: Focuses on the state of no pain, not on the medicine itself
Reflect & Connect
•How does understanding analgesia help you think about the importance of pain in daily life?
•Can analgesia be dangerous if someone cannot feel pain? Why or why not?
Fill in the blanks
1.After the injection, the patient felt analgesia because the medicine ___ the pain signals.
2.Analgesia is important during surgery to make sure the patient does not ___ pain.
3.Unlike numbness, analgesia means the person may still feel ___ but not pain.
4.Doctors use analgesia to help patients ___ pain without making them unconscious.
5.When someone has natural analgesia, they might not ___ pain even from serious injuries.
6.Painkillers cause analgesia by ___ the body's ability to feel pain.
7.Analgesia differs from anesthesia because anesthesia causes loss of ___ as well as pain.