Anal sphincter
noun
The anal sphincters are the muscles in the anus that prevent feces from coming out of the rectum. Though commonly spoken of as a single sphincter, two actually exist. These two sphincters control the shutting of the anus: the external anal sphincter and the internal anal sphincter, also called the sphincter ani externus and the sphincter ani internus, respectively.
Fecal incontinence often involves the anal sphincter.
Anesthesia
noun
This refers to loss of sensations whereas pain or heat or other sensations are deadened.
When commonly used, it usually represents general anesthesia, in which the patient is made completely unconscious through a medication, usually for a surgical procedure.
When referring to the drug induced type of anesthesia, there are local, regional, conduction and general anesthesia. Local anesthesia is for one small region, as is often done at the dentist. Regional anesthesia refers to a larger area of the body. Conduction anesthesia refers to both local and regional anesthesia, and general anesthesia refers to when the patient is put unconscious.
Meaning “senseless,” it comes from Latin “anaísthēt(os).”
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