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Sedative vs Anesthetic - What's the difference?

sedative | anesthetic |

As adjectives the difference between sedative and anesthetic

is that sedative is while anesthetic is causing the reduction of pain sensitivity.

As a noun anesthetic is

(medicine) a substance administered to reduce the perception of pain or to induce numbness an anesthetic may or may not render the recipient unconscious, depending upon the type used.

sedative

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An agent or drug that sedates, having a calming or soothing effect, or inducing sleep.

    • Synonyms

    * (agents that cause sleep) sleeping pill, soporific, tranquilizer * (other agents that sedate) anxiolytic, depressant, downer

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Calming]], soothing, inducing sleep, [[tranquilize, tranquilizing

    • Synonyms

    * ataractic * ataraxic

    References

    * (wikipedia "sedative")

    Anagrams

    * ----

    anesthetic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * anaesthetic

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Causing the reduction of pain sensitivity.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (medicine) A substance administered to reduce the perception of pain or to induce numbness. An anesthetic may or may not render the recipient unconscious, depending upon the type used.
  • * 1994 , Anesthetics (Ophthalmic)] ([http://www.drugs.com/cons/anesthetics-ophthalmic.html original version), Drugs.com:
    • After a local anesthetic' is applied to the eye, do not rub or wipe the eye until the ' anesthetic has worn off and feeling in the eye returns.
  • * 2004 , Jacoby, David B. and Youngson, R. M., Encyclopedia of Famiy Health , Marshall Cavendish, pg. 91.
    • Modern anesthetics can be divided into several different groups according to how and where they act to reduce pain.
    During premedication, the anesthetist may give a patient drugs that make him or her feel relaxed and drowsy before the actual general anesthetic is administered.

    Related terms

    * freezing

    References

    * " Anesthetics", 2010 MeSH, National Library of Medicine.