Dr. Joe… did you miss this one???
Well, we’ve all known for a very long time that there were medicinal qualities to chili peppers, but who knew that they’d make a great compliment for anaesthesia?
Apparently, scientists have found that capsaicin may be able to be used as a more selective local anesthetic, allowing patients to avoid the mind and body numbing affects of general anaesthesia.
A key ingredient in chili peppers, chased with a local anesthetic, could be just the ticket for ending pain in the dentist’s chair and on the operating table without the potentially dangerous side effects and all-numbing aftermath of traditional anesthesia, says a new Harvard Medical School study.
Researchers report in Nature that a combination of capsaicin (the ingredient that gives chili peppers their bite) and QX-314, a derivative of lidocaine (a local anesthetic used by dentists and to relieve inflamed, itchy skin), effectively silences pain-sensing nerve cells without disturbing other neurons that control motor function and other sensations.
Click here: to read the rest of the article, published at ScientificAmerican.com.
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Tina,
I didn’t miss this one, really! This topic is actually one that I am going to pursue as part of an academic paper that I’ll be submitting as part of my residency. Cool stuff!
Comment fired by Joe & Linda — October 13, 2007- 10:54 am
That’s great… I appreciate that we’ll have to wait until you write it, but if you publish a scientific paper here first, does it count?
T
Comment fired by Tina Brooks — October 13, 2007- 11:15 am