What is IV therapy used for? How will it benefit me?

When one hears “IV therapy”, they might think of the IV you typically receive at the hospital when someone may be in critical condition, or due to surgery. Actually, you can receive an IV drip therapy treatment in your home, office, or at your next holiday party! IV therapy is a wellness method in which one receives fluids into their veins, allowing treatment to quickly enter the bloodstream, rather than methods such as oral supplements which take time to come into effect as it must go through the digestive system first.

What is IV Therapy Used for:

IV therapy is one of the up-and-coming homeopathic healing methods people are leaning toward due to its administration of quick benefits. Engaging in drip therapy may have many benefits for your health based on your needs. But what is IV therapy used for?

A nurse with IV drip and patient in bed

Dehydration

One of the most prominent drip therapy benefits is to alleviate dehydration, whether that is due to hot weather or a hangover. When one is dehydrated, the body is losing more fluids than it is taking in. Maintaining a well-hydrated body is a key essential to survival, as when one is dehydrated the body’s functions begin to fail. When one is severely dehydrated, they can become unconscious, have low blood pressure, become lethargic or even be unable to urinate. Side effects and hints of dehydration include dizziness, exhaustion, cramps, dark urine, and a pale face.

The most common use of IV therapy being to alleviate dehydration says a lot about how successful the results are. The biggest benefit of using IV therapy over oral medication to alleviate dehydration is due to the fluids being administered via IV, one feels the benefits much quicker, which in serious situations can mean the difference between severe health consequences and feeling like your best self. You might think to yourself, “Why can’t I just drink lots of water quickly?”, but that may make you feel much worse and you may potentially vomit. Another benefit of the use of IV therapy to alleviate dehydration is that treatment is customizable to your needs, so if your body is lacking both hydration and electrolytes, whoever is administering your therapy may be able to better fit your body’s needs.

Hangovers

If you are someone who enjoys drinking alcohol, chances are you have at some point endured a hangover the following day. When electrolyte drinks or detox juices do not provide the relief you need, call an IV therapy specialist to come to make the morning after drinking more relaxing rather than torturesome. An additional benefit to the use of IV therapy to cure your hangover is that sometimes a hangover can last a whole day, which may influence your productivity.

By engaging in IV therapy, one is able to speed up the process of their hangover in order to be able to still have the possibility of a productive day. Owner of The Hangover Club, Asa Kitfield states, “When you look at some of our clientele, losing an entire day to a hangover could be very expensive. It could cost you way more than $200, it could cost you thousands of dollars. This is sort of a ‘whoops’ button to save the rest of your day,“, which is good food for thought to book your IV therapy ahead of heavy alcohol consumption.

Common hangover symptoms include nausea, dehydration, head and body aches, and stomach irritation. In order to alleviate your hangover, what is used in IV therapy typically is, pain medication (for headaches or a sore body), electrolytes, vitamins, and glutathione, which helps detox your liver. Within about 40 minutes, these benefits will be flowing through your bloodstream, and you will start feeling relief from your hangover. However, keep in mind that the use of IV therapy to alleviate hangovers will not enable you to consistently consume alcohol without damaging your liver.

boost immune system naturally

Immune Boost

Maintaining a healthy, balanced immune system is an essential aspect of keeping your body healthy. Taking vitamins and consuming certain foods may benefit your immune system, but IV therapy is a much faster and more efficient way to help your immunity strengthen, as most alternatives go through your digestive system and may lose the maximum benefits in the process. The use of IV therapy to boost your immune system may be extremely beneficial to your health because the stronger your immune system is, the less likely you are to become ill or weak due to factors such as stress, diet, and sleeplessness. Some aspects of your life that may cause weak immunity include diet, chronic stress, lack of sleep, and autoimmune disorders, such as Lyme or celiac diseases.

Common ingredients used in a session for immunity boosting include vitamin C, glutathione, B-Complex vitamins, and hydration (similar to what you may receive at the hospital). Though these are the common ingredients in the immune boost IV bags, one may opt to do a blood test to fulfill more specific needs of their immune system. In addition to drip therapy to boost your immune system, you may combine that with exercise, a healthy diet (including as many antioxidants as possible), getting plentiful sleep, drinking less alcohol, and staying well-hydrated. However, you must be aware that although IV therapy boosts your immune system, the use of IV therapy does not mean that you will not be able to get the flu or a cold, but rather make you less susceptible to being exposed to pathogens.