IV drip therapy is a very popular method of providing medication and relieving stress among patients. It has a range of benefits and is gaining increasing acclaim in the medical world in Dubai, as well as across the globe. Along with its acceptability comes the provision of easy access. Today, you can easily get an IV drip at home by getting an appointment with an on-call doctor.
What Is IV Therapy?[1]
IV therapy refers to the method of medication that involves inserting fluid directly into a patient’s veins, bringing about instant pain relief, hydration, and alleviation of symptoms for many conditions. An IV or intravenous approach to injecting fluids is one that delivers nutrients straight to your bloodstream, instead of oral ingestion.
This provides a much higher concentration of the nutrient to your organs, enabling your body to absorb it faster. It is a method of consuming medication that yields the fastest results.
What Are the Components of an IV Bag?
The fluids inside an IV bag are usually vitamins, salines, minerals, medication, and other nutrients. Their composition and combination vary based on your condition and the kind of treatment that it requires. A few of the common ingredients found in IV bags are:
- Dextrose[2]: A type of sugar that is healthy and good for the human body. It is used to help normalize low blood sugar levels when administered intravenously. This is because it can be converted into energy by the human body.
- Saline[3]: This is most typically the base component of an IV bag. The solution, consisting of sodium chloride, and clean water, is one that acts as a means of transport for all the other ingredients in your IV cocktail. Additionally, it helps hydrate and refresh the body.
- Vitamin B[4]: Vitamin B strains, ranging from B1 to B3, B5 to B6, B9, and B12, are all put together to form the Vitamin B complex. This is a direct contributor to many day-to-day bodily functions, such as nerve function and metabolism. This, too, is delivered through IV therapy to patients who have trouble absorbing it, as it is the method that yields the fastest results.
- Vitamin C[5]: Vitamin C is essential in ensuring a well-functioning immune system. In any kind of sickness, Vitamin C can be a very helpful ingredient in strengthening your immunity and curing your illness. This is because it sustains the pathogen response of the immune system, by enabling it to fight bacteria, viruses, and diseases right as they enter the body, to prevent multiplication.
- Lactated Ringer’s[6]: This solution is composed of potassium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium lactate, and water. It has the same function as the saline solution, which is to deliver the other nutrients to the body, treat dehydration, and rejuvenate the body during surgery.
- Calcium[7]: Calcium is another mineral that is often administered via IV therapy. Although it is not the first defense against calcium deficiency because doctors recommend consuming it through natural sources first, it is prescribed in more extreme cases. Most often, this is to treat certain calcium deficiency-induced conditions, such as hypoparathyroidism or acute hypocalcemia.
- Magnesium[8]: This is a mineral that is involved in developing and ensuring healthy and regular metabolic function. Among its innumerable benefits lies being a pain killer – tackling leg cramps experienced by pregnant women, reducing inflammation, and preventing migraines.
- Antibiotics[9]: Patients are usually prescribed antibiotics through an IV drip under the following circumstances: if they have a bacterial skin infection, Lyme disease, respiratory infection, gastrointestinal infection, meningitis, or any other extreme infection. Some of the most common IV antibiotics include oxazolidinones, cephalosporins, penicillin, glycopeptides, carbapenems, nitroimidazoles, and fluoroquinolones.
- Antioxidants: These help guard the cells in the human body from several different diseases. IV drips of this kind can include a range of antioxidants, including vitamins A, E, and C, or glutathione.
Is IV Therapy Considered Safe?
Given the highly developed medical sector of today, the administration of fluids through intravenous infusion is considered quite safe and is a very common medical procedure. IV administration is part of most surgical procedures, including inducing anesthesia before operations, cleansing or refueling the bloodstream during the procedures, or giving painkillers, antibiotics, and even sedatives in the post-op phase.
Are There Any Risks of IV Therapy?
Intravenous therapy has proven to be a huge medical advancement, and its usage is widespread to treat various health conditions. However, it is important to be wary of certain risk factors involved in this therapy.
IV therapy bypasses all the human body’s gatekeeping or resistance functions, allowing direct access into the bloodstream. This can potentially result in an overload of vitamins if they are injected all at once. Because the body is used to slow digestion via the stomach, it can get overwhelmed by the dump. This can potentially cause Vitamin toxicity if there is already above a certain number of minerals and vitamins in one’s bloodstream.[10]
Dieticians often stress this thought and express concern regarding the risks that accompany intravenous Vitamin therapy. Careless prescription and long-term IV medicine abuse can cause one’s kidneys to go into overdrive and be vulnerable to threats.[11]
Another risk that arises when administering antibiotics, painkillers, or more complex solutions is that of a reaction. Because there is no line of defense between an IV and one’s bloodstream, the patient is directly exposed to the fluid and in case it is one that they bear an allergic reaction towards, it can prove detrimental.
One can consult their doctor to be aware of any potential allergies in advance, but if the need for a new medicine arises, trial and error will be an inevitable risk.
There are certain procedures that absolutely demand IV treatment, as it offers the purest, most urgent fix to pain, infection, and deficiency. If you want to book IV drip at-home service in Dubai, you can visit the ServiceMarket application or website to get an appointment at your own convenience.
[1] IV (Intravenous) Therapy. (n.d.). https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/health-wellness-and-safety-resources/helping-hands/iv-therapy
[2] Dextrose (Intravenous Route) Side Effects – Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/dextrose-intravenous-route/side-effects/drg-20073387?p=1#:~:text=Dextrose%20injection%20is%20a%20sterile,in%20many%20different%20medical%20conditions
[3] IV Fluids (Intravenous Fluids): Types & Uses. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21635-iv-fluids
[4] Ramella, A. (2022, December 13). IV Vitamin Therapy: Does It Work? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/iv-vitamin-therapy-does-it-work#:~:text=Vitamin%20IV%20therapy%2C%20also%20referred,absorb%20nutrients%20at%20higher%20doses.
[5] the Healthline Medical Network. (2018, December 8). Vitamin C Injection: Benefits and Risks. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/vitamin-c-injection
[6] Lactated Ringer’S (Intravenous Route) Side Effects – Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/lactated-ringers-intravenous-route/side-effects/drg-20489612?p=1#:~:text=Lactated%20Ringer’s%20injection%20is%20used,the%20supervision%20of%20your%20doctor.
[7] Calcium Gluconate Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing – WebMD. (n.d.). https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-8322/calcium-gluconate-oral/details
[8] Magnesium Sulfate Injection | Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/20379-magnesium-sulfate-injection
[9] Antibiotics: Side Effects, What Is It & Usage. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/16386-antibiotics
[10] Multiple vitamin overdose. Mount Sinai Health System. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/poison/multiple-vitamin-overdose#:~:text=Symptoms,%2C%20lung%20injury%2C%20and%20death.
[11] McLean, D. J. (n.d.). Intravenous fluids: effects on renal outcomes. Define_me. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.bjanaesthesia.org/article/S0007-0912(17)54093-3/pdf
