IV Therapy – Overview
What is IV Therapy?
Intravenous (IV) therapy is part of a popular health and wellness trend spreading across the world. These are nutrient or vitamin therapies in which fluids, medications, and vitamins are delivered using the blood veins. Delivering fluids and medications directly into the bloodstream is beneficial as it bypasses liver metabolism and produces quick results.
In IV therapy, the therapist generally uses an intravenous catheter to dispense the medications, fluids, and vitamins. The process is constantly monitored to ensure the correct dosage is administered.
If you are wondering what is IV therapy and why it is effective, here are more details. As the therapy allows nutrients to be absorbed rapidly at higher doses, recovery can be swift. While your body ordinarily absorbs nutrients slowly, IV vitamin therapy allows it to rapidly absorb nutrients at higher doses. However, in case of moderate to severe conditions, recovery requires larger doses and more time.
IV therapy is said to treat the following:
- Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Depression and Anxiety
- Migraines
- Withdrawal
- Hangovers
- Dehydration
- Cardiovascular disease
Common Nutrition or Vitamins Used InIV Therapy
The basis of every IV infusion blend is a bag of saline solution that contains sodium chloride (more commonly known as salt) and water.
The vitamins, minerals and antioxidants commonly used in IV vitamin therapy are:
Vitamin B-Complex – These include Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6), Cobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin C, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Choline, Inositol, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Chromium, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, L-Carnitine, Coenzyme Q10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Glutathione, Methionine, NAD, and Taurine, among others.
The Myers’ cocktail—named after John Myers, the doctor who first administered the treatment in the 1970s—is a popular IV mixture of vitamins and minerals. It contains the right proportion of magnesium, calcium, and vitamins B6, B12, B5, B complex and C.
What Nutrition Or Vitamins Are Delivered Via IV Therapy?
The body’s nutritional requirements include vitamins, minerals, hydration, antioxidants, and electrolytes. These nutritional components ensure you feel, look, and function at your best.
During the IV therapy consultation, the doctor or therapist examines the body. This diagnosis helps determine the nutrients you are lacking. The IV therapist then prepares a custom treatment plan to deliver the nutritional components tailored to your needs. This also removes the need to pop several vitamins and supplement pills.
Benefits of IV Therapy
According to your requirements, IV vitamin therapy comes with several benefits. Two of the main benefits of IV therapy are…
Ease &convenience
In IV therapy, the therapist administers the medications, fluids, and vitamins directly into the bloodstream. This ensures fast results, compared to other treatments which are more time-consuming.
Improvement of Health And Wellbeing
IV therapy involves the infusion of vitamins, fluids, and medications into the body. This supports and improves the immune system. IV therapy promotes the hydration of skin, also making it more aesthetically appealing. The infusions also improve energy levels.
Common Uses of IV Therapy
There are several uses for which IV therapy is commonly used…
Relief from Headache and Migraine
Migraines and headaches can be caused by triggers in the environment, diet, stress, and certain medications. In some cases, the medical practitioner may recommend IV therapy to deliver vitamins and pain relief medications directly for swift results.
Relief from Hangover
Indulgence in alcohol can result in bad hangovers. They are mainly caused by dehydration and lack of some electrolytes in the body. The IV therapist may recommend IV therapy in order to overcome the hangover. The IV therapy can include anti-nausea medication and pain medication for faster relief of symptoms; saline to replenish fluid levels; vitamins to counteract the effects of alcohol; electrolytes to avoid vomiting and fatigue; and glutathione to help detoxification of the liver.
Recovery from Athletic Performance
Intensive physical activity can leave one feeling drained. IV hydration therapy can be recommended to replenish, rehydrate, and refresh the body after the workout, and quicken muscle recovery. The athletic recovery IV drip can help improve post-workout recovery by restoring deficient nutrients. Fluids will restore the body’s electrolyte and hydration levels. Amino acids would repair worn-out tissues and vitamins would restore energy.
Relief from Pregnancy Symptoms
Many pregnant women suffer symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. IV therapy may be recommended to counter vitamin deficiency, morning sickness and related dehydration, and chronic fatigue from pregnancy. Your medical practitioner may also suggest IV therapy to help improve your immunity and manage cold and flu.
How Does IV Therapy Work
Given the many benefits of IV therapy, it is available at many IV bars, drip bars, and IV lounges. The nutrient or vitamin therapies are in liquid form. During the IV therapy procedure, they are delivered through a small tube inserted into a vein. The infusions generally take 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the amount of the liquid and the size of the person’s veins. The IV therapist monitors the IV therapy procedure to ensure you are getting the right doses. The effects of the IV therapy procedure may be experienced immediately or after some time.
Conclusion
This blog has attempted to answer your questions as to what is IV therapy. The benefits of IV therapy have fast popularised the procedure. If you are looking for IV therapy services you can also seek referrals from your family doctor, family, and friends. IV therapy cost varies depending on the treatment, medications and dosages. Do contact a trusted clinic for a consultation and information on IV therapy cost.