What Is IV Therapy?

Intravenous (IV) therapies(IV Drips) provide people with injections of therapeutic substances. It is mostly associated with hospitalized patients when medicine in tablet form is insufficient or doesn’t act quickly enough but is also used in non-hospital settings.

IV therapy is the name given to a method of treatment that involves fluids and medication. The two letters of IV are an abbreviated version of the word intravenous and this indicates that fluids are administered directly into a patient’s veins.

The fluids in question will contain plasma, medication, minerals, or vitamins and are delivered via an IV drip. This is the quickest and most efficient way to make sure that a patient gets the desired medications. It is faster than oral application because an IV infusion doesn’t have to be processed in the digestive tract for the medication to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

How Does IV Therapy Work?

IV treatment is a straightforward procedure and the process is uniform across the board regardless of the health condition it is being used to treat.

Commonly, a patient will be seated in a comfortable position, and a trained nurse will disinfect the injection site. The site will be a suitable vein. These are visible by their blueness under the skin. If a vein is not immediately visible, the nurse will gently tap and probe to try to raise one and may resort to a tourniquet to identify a suitable vein.

A cannula (a small plastic tube) is inserted into the vein and a catheter is connected to the cannula at one end and the IV bag at the other. The IV fluid is then delivered from the IV bag either via natural gravity or a manual pump directly into the bloodstream.

It is important to keep as still as possible during infusion therapy like this to avoid unnecessary physical side effects. To help stay still, patients will often being something like a book, tablet, or smartphone to keep them occupied until the IV vitamin therapy is complete.

What Fluids Are Used In An IV Bag?

The fluids in the IV bag will vary depending on the type of therapy that you are having. There is a variety of intravenous solutions that contain, amongst other things, saline, minerals, vitamins, and medications. Some of the most common ingredients of a typical IV bag administered by medical professionals include:

• Saline – A saline solution is often the base of an IV bag. It is made from water and sodium chloride. Particularly effective with hydration therapy, saline is used as a delivery system for the other ingredients of a vitamin infusion, as it helps to massively hydrate the body.
• Dextrose – This is a type of sugar, but a sugar that will make you feel better rather than more sluggish! Dextrose is used to bring low blood sugar back to normal levels, and it can boost energy levels too.
• Vitamin B – Vitamins B1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 are collectively referred to as the vitamin B complex, and this complex can have an important impact on all your bodily functions such as your nervous system and your metabolism. It is a good ingredient for those who cannot naturally absorb vitamins.
• Lactated Ringer’s – This is a mixture that contains calcium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, and sodium lactate, and just like the saline solution mentioned above, it is used to directly treat severe dehydration.
• Vitamin C – Something of a wonder component in healthcare when it comes to boosting your immune system, it helps the body to fight various diseases and prevent them from taking hold and becoming more serious.
• Magnesium – Magnesium can help to reduce inflammation in the body, help to prevent excessive cramping, and even prevent the onset of bad migraines.
• Calcium – Helps to build strong bones and teeth, and calcium given intravenously can supplement the mineral for those who have a naturally low amount in their bodies.
• Antioxidants – Antioxidants help to protect your body’s cells from numerous diseases, and the most popular types you will find in an IV bag are glutathione and vitamins A, C, and E.
• Antibiotics – Antibiotics are added to an IV bag when a patient is suffering from any kind of infection that can be respiratory, bacterial, or gastrointestinal. It might also be used in the case of Lyme disease and meningitis.

What Are The Benefits Of IV Therapy?

IV therapy has two main uses

• The fast administration of medication
• Delivery of minerals and vitamins.

Benefits of IV medication

In the case of chronic illness, the patient can receive a controlled dose of the drugs they need quickly and easily. Tablets are only available in a limited number of sizes so cannot be as precise as they need to be for certain conditions. A doctor can prescribe an IV infusion to the milligram.

With an intravenous supply, the body gets the whole dose because it bypasses the digestive process. It is quite surprising how much of an oral medicine the body flushes away.

IV therapy is also widely used in cases of trauma when time is crucial for successful treatment. Someone who has been severely injured or is suffering from some serious consequences of a disease will need urgent treatment and probably cannot wait for a drug given orally to take effect.

Intravenous drugs can also be less painful than oral medications. Tablets and liquids may inflame or irritate the gut or stomach causing uncomfortable symptoms. IV methods don’t have these complications.

Probably the biggest benefit of all, however, is the speed of relief for the patient.

Benefits of non-drug IV therapy

IV therapy is a great way to promote health and wellness and boost your immune system. It is a good way to bring your body back into balance when something is not quite right. It is important to maintain the right balance of vitamins and minerals in your body to avoid things like chronic fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, and even battle issues like weight loss.

Those who are feeling under the weather might not necessarily want to go to the effort of making an official doctor’s appointment, and this is where a quick session of IV therapy can be the easier and more convenient choice.

Not only is intravenous therapy the most simple and immediate way to introduce beneficial vitamins and minerals to your body, but it can even be done in the most convenient place of all, your own home!

Why Do People Get IV Vitamin Therapy?

Intravenous drugs for medical conditions are at the prescription of a healthcare professional. IV vitamin therapy is usually a choice although of course, it may be a treatment recommended by your doctor.

Some of the most common reasons that people choose to undergo IV therapy with or without medical advice include:

• Hangover Relief

We have all been in the position of waking up after a heavy night of partying with all of the classic symptoms of a hangover! From dry mouth to migraine to upset digestive system and more, there is nothing worse than a hangover, and undergoing IV therapy is a quick way to replace all of the nutrients and vitamins that you have lost. It rehydrates you and restores your energy levels.

• Sports Recovery

Your body can feel drained and beat up after a long period of sports or exercise, and an IV drip filled with vitamins, amino acids, and antioxidants can boost your energy levels by increasing your electrolytes to help your body on the way to repairing tissue damage at a faster rate.

• Boost the Immune System

You need your immune system to be in top form to be able to fight off infection and keep your body healthy, so doing IV therapy during the cold and flu season can give your system that extra boost that it needs to keep you from falling foul of the classic winter illnesses.

• Cold And Flu Relief

If you do end up with a cold or the flu, then an IV drip can send beneficial vitamins to your system and help to accelerate their beneficial effects. Also, the anti-inflammatory properties of the right vitamins can help to lessen the classic signs and soreness of a cold or the flu.

• Ease Pregnancy Symptoms

One of the most common symptoms that women experience during pregnancy is nausea and an upset stomach. An IV drip with the appropriate ingredients can help to ease these symptoms and make those periods of nausea much more bearable.

• Migraine And Headache Relief

Migraine can be completely debilitating and disruptive to a schedule, and they can’t always be predicted in time to take medication to prevent them. The immediate jolt of ingredients that IV therapy can give to your bloodstream can stop even the worst migraine in its tracks.

There are other types of IV therapy that address other health issues:

• IV For Weight Loss

Supplements can be delivered by IV to boost weight loss efforts. They will only work with a reduced calorie diet and regular exercise – no drug/medication/substance can make a body lose weight on its own. IV therapy for weight loss usually uses either carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, or lipotropic compounds.

• Detoxification

Toxins and free radicals can damage DNA and body cells and also promote aging. IV drip therapy with vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid, or glutathione can keep toxins and free radicals in check. The detox process can boost complexion by slowing down the aging process.

• Improve Circulation

The administration of calcium, arginine, magnesium sulfate, and tri-amino acids by drip therapy can aid in improved functionality of the cardiovascular system. All these compounds/nutrients promote lower blood pressure and help blood vessels contract and dilate more efficiently.

• Relieve Anxiety

Delivering magnesium sulfate via IV drip can aid in relieving anxiety and promoting relaxation. This electrolyte not only helps to lower blood pressure but will calm feelings of anxiety, promote better sleep, relax muscles and boost energy levels.

How Long Does IV Therapy Take?

IV therapy must be administered in a controlled manner, at a controlled rate. When you have been connected to an IV bag, you don’t need to do anything else other than sitting still and wait for the process to be finished.

The process will usually take around 45 minutes to an hour.

The effects of the IV drip will vary from patient to patient. In many cases, and depending on how bad your particular symptoms are, you will start to feel the effects of the treatment almost immediately as soon as the solution starts to reach your bloodstream.

Different factors to consider for each individual are your level of hydration is, and your body’s natural metabolic rate.

In Summary

IV therapy is the fastest way possible to get essential nutrients in your body. To obtain the best benefits, it is important to know which nutrients are best suited to your wellness goals. Even though it is a simple process, it is still best undertaken by medical professionals in a suitable clinical setting.

We at Warner Plaza Medical strive to make it a quick, easy and enjoyable experience for you. There are several reasons one might request IV Therapy. It might be ordered by your general practitioner, or you can request one if you have the flu, a cold, a hangover, or metabolic and medication issues.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment for IV Therapy, click here!