If someone were to inject lidocane directly into a person's optic nerve....?!
Question: would that individual experience temporary blindness until the anesthetic wore off?
Answers: would that individual experience temporary blindness until the anesthetic wore off?
When injections are made as in a retrobulbar injection, the lidocaine or other anesthetic agent can be injected into the nerve. NOT GOOD. The problem isn't the lidocaine. It's the pressure of the medication within the optic nerve sheath that causes a retinal vascular problem. Basically it shuts off the blood to the eye. As the fluid pressure goes back down, the blood flow will become reinstated, but by then the nerve is gone. The lidocaine itself isn't toxic to the nerve at all. It stops the depolarization and the nerve won't transmit signals as the action potential won't happen. But it doesn't 'hurt' the nerve.
They used to have, actually still do, a special 'retrobulbar needle' that it used for these injections. It has a less pointy end so that one doesn't stab the nerve. Usually one keeps the bevel towards the nerve in case it hits the side of the nerve so it'll 'slide' along the nerve rather than penetrate it. But I've seen optic atrophy from these direct injection injuries even 'with' those special needles.
Yes, the trauma would be way too much for the brain to handle.
Just one Lidocaine injection in your mouth from a dentist is equivalent to smoking 269,000 cigarettes. It is very dangerous and should not be used. It stays in your tissues and creates huge problems later in life.
good luck.
Yes, but fortunately it's temporary.