Tag: Emergence delirium

According to studies, as many as 40–60% of patients experience some form of emotional or behavioral change in the weeks following surgery. Understanding what to expect regarding these behavioral changes after anesthesia is an important step toward a smoother recovery process for both patients and their families.

Studies indicate that between 40% and 60% of patients experience temporary behavioral and emotional changes in the weeks following surgery. Yes, being emotional can be a direct or indirect side effect of anesthesia, influenced by various physiological and psychological factors during recovery.

Anesthesia can temporarily take your brain's frontal cortex offline, removing inhibitions and leading to uninhibited emotional responses like crying. This phenomenon, sometimes called emergence delirium, can cause you to cry coming out of anesthesia, a surprisingly common but often temporary part of the recovery process.

According to a 2015 report, up to 40% of children and around 3% of adults may cry after anaesthesia, a phenomenon that can be startling for family but is often a benign side effect. This seemingly paradoxical reaction is influenced by a complex interplay of pharmacological effects on the brain, psychological distress, and the physiological stress of surgery.