If you’ve ever had a dental abscess, you know that while you won’t be able to feel your mouth for a few hours, you’ll be spared the agony of the drilling.
That numbing medicine might be one of several different medications. These drugs are known as topical anaesthetics. Lidocaine and benzocaine are examples of local anaesthetics.
Key Takeaways
- Lidocaine is an amide anesthetic, while benzocaine is an ester anesthetic.
- Lidocaine provides longer-lasting numbing effects compared to benzocaine.
- Lidocaine is more likely to cause allergic reactions than benzocaine.
Lidocaine vs Benzocaine
The difference between Lidocaine and Benzocaine is that The two most popular types of localized anaesthetics are lidocaine and benzocaine. Both deaden the skin surface without causing unconsciousness. They are commonly utilized in painful procedures such as piercing and surgical procedures. Despite serving a similar purpose, they vary widely in terms of potency, framework, and reliability. Each anaesthetic has unique properties that make it suited for certain treatments.
Lidocaine is administered as an intravenous infusion as well as a topical (given directly to the affected area) therapy. Topical lidocaine comes in a variety of forms, including cream, urethane, and patches.
Lidocaine injections are commonly used to numb the face and lessen discomfort throughout dental operations. A sticky solution of lidocaine is being used to treat painful mouths and throats, as well as to reduce choking.
Benzocaine is indeed available in dermal and injectable forms. Benzocaine injection sedates the face and lessens discomfort throughout dental treatments.
Benzocaine gel or cream is used to relieve pain and suffering caused by sunburn, teething, abscessed toenails, and haemorrhoids. It could also be utilized to relieve discomfort or pain throughout medical interventions.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Lidocaine | Benzocaine |
|---|---|---|
| Effective | When it refers to numbing the surface for crucial activities involving tattooing, and surgical operations, lidocaine is efficacious than benzocaine. | Because of its low strength, benzocaine is ideal for mucous membranes such as lips and anus. |
| Structure | Lidocaine, because of its heterocyclic chain, is an amide anesthetic that may be destroyed down by the digestive system. | The chemical compositions of lidocaine and benzocaine vary. Benzocaine is a kind of ester anesthetic. |
| Efficiency | Lidocaine is a strong numbing compound than benzocaine. Based on research, 2% lidocaine is the closest approximation of 20% benzocaine. | Benzocaine has a lower blistering effect than Lidocaine. |
| Uses | Lidocaine is great for tattooing, piercing, and other similar procedures. | Benzocaine is a non-addictive numbing substance. It is used to reduce the discomfort produced by the implantation of medical instruments. |
| Side effects | Typical adverse effects include skin irritation, burning, and difficulty respiration. | Same side effects as lidocaine. Contact your doctor if an unpleasant impact or symptom continues. |
What is Lidocaine?
Lidocaine is used to treat nerve discomfort caused by shingles (infection with the herpes zoster virus). This is referred to as post-herpetic neuralgia.
Lidocaine relieves sharp sensations as well as discomfort produced by excessively sensitive skin regions. Lidocaine is a kind of medication known as a local anaesthetic.
It works by producing a transient lack of sensation in the region where the patch is applied.
Lidocaine interacts moderately with at least 62 distinct medications. At least 28 distinct medications have minor interactions with lidocaine.
This material does not cover all of the potential interactions or side effects. As a result, before consuming this medication, inform your doctor or physician of all the products you are currently consuming.
Keep a list of all your prescriptions on hand and discuss it with your surgeon and pharmacist.
For more medicinal counsel, or if you possess health issues or concerns, or want more understanding about this drug, consult your health care provider or doctor.
If your primary care physician has prescribed this medicine, your medical professional may already be aware of any potential drug combinations and maybe keep an eye out for them.
Do not start, stop, or modify the dosage of any medication without first consulting your doctor, healthcare professional, or pharmacist.
What is Benzocaine?
Benzocaine ointment is used to treat small skin annoyances, pharyngitis, rashes, intestinal irritation, abscessed toenails, haemorrhoids, and various other sources of mild pain on the exterior of the cell.
Benzocaine can also be applied to numb the epidermis or surfaces within the mouth, nasal, oesophagus or abdomen to alleviate the discomfort of putting a medical tool such as a tube or ultrasound wand.
Benzocaine topical should never be used to address newborn teething discomfort and is not recommended for use in children under two. There are several brands and kinds of benzocaine topical on the market.
This leaflet does not include all brands. When benzocaine topical is applied to the skin, it might produce a situation in which the respiration in your body tissues becomes dangerously low.
Methemoglobinemia is an extremely lethal disorder. If you’ve ever had methemoglobinemia, don’t consume benzocaine topical.
If you have already experienced methemoglobinemia in the past, never use benzocaine lotion. Benzocaine topical should not be used on children under the age of two.
A numbing drug overload can be dangerous if too much of the pharmaceutical is transmitted through your scalp and into your bloodstream. This is possible if you inject more than the appropriate dose.
Main Differences Between Lidocaine and Benzocaine
- Lidocaine is used as an intravenous infusion as well as a topical treatment. Benzocaine is available in injectable formulations. A benzocaine syringe is used to numb the face and reduce discomfort during dental procedures.
- When it comes to numbing the skin for crucial activities like tattooing, piercing, and minimally invasive incisions, lidocaine outperforms benzocaine. Because of its low strength, benzocaine is ideal for mucous membranes.
- Because of its amide chain, lidocaine is an amide anaesthetic that the liver may destroy. Benzocaine is a kind of ester anaesthetic.
- Lidocaine is said to be a more potent numbing substance than benzocaine. According to one research, 2% lidocaine is the equivalent of 20% benzocaine. Benzocaine has a lower numbing effect than Lidocaine.
- Lidocaine is great for tattooing and other similar procedures. However, it should not be used on soft tissues such as the tongue. Benzocaine is a non-addictive numbing agent. It is used to reduce the discomfort produced by the insertion of medical instruments.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2148990/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207450590520948
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I don’t think the medical profession has a clear idea of all the potential drug combinations, and the effects of them, otherwise, they wouldn’t be so quick to prescribe them to people.
I find it odd that benzocaine is used to reduce discomfort caused by the implantation of medical instruments, wouldn’t the pain signal a problem?
I believe the purpose of benzocaine in this context is to help alleviate the initial pain, making the procedure more bearable for the patient.
The post is informative and well-researched, but the writer missed anesthesia as a side effect, and touched instead on skin irritation and burning.
I don’t think there’s a need to use any of these drugs, natural remedies are more than enough in most cases.
I think it’s comical that the comparison table talks about the uses of these drugs, and how they are great for tattooing and piercing.
It is a bit of a strange context to list as a use, but the drugs are commonly used for those procedures.
The text provides a well-detailed comparison between Lidocaine and Benzocaine, and it’s quite informative.
I really loved learning about Lidocaine and Benzocaine, it’s always good to have knowledge on what goes into your body.
This piece was very informative, I had a superficial understanding of these drugs before, but now I feel like I have a better understanding of their uses and side effects.
I have always had questions about the uses, side effects, and the chemical compositions of Lidocaine and Benzocaine, and this post has provided great clarity on this. It’s a very informative piece.