IV Hydration Therapy Specialist
Steel Family Medicine
Family Medicine located in Pleasant View, TN
Dehydration can affect anyone, causing mild symptoms such as headaches and sleepiness, but also posing a genuine threat to your health and in serious cases, your survival. Shannah Steel, DO, of Steel Family Medicine in Pleasant View, Tennessee, is a family medicine specialist who is continually looking for innovative ways to improve her patients’ health, such as IV hydration therapy. Call Steel Family Medicine today to find out more, or book an appointment online.
IV Hydration Therapy Q & A
What is IV hydration therapy?
IV hydration therapy is a method of replenishing your fluid and vitamin levels quickly and effectively. Dr. Steel inserts an intravenous (IV) catheter that goes into a vein in your arm and attaches to a drip. The fluid passes steadily from the drip, and into your bloodstream.
IV hydration enables Dr. Steel to administer electrolytes with medication and or vitamins into your blood as well, which can restore normal function when you’re dehydrated. It can also invigorate you if you’re feeling tired and lacking in energy.
When would I need IV hydration therapy?
Hydration is essential to life, and although your body can last for weeks without food, it won’t manage more than a few days without water. If you’re losing fluid through sweating, breathing, and excretion, but not taking in enough water to replace what you’re losing, dehydration sets in. This imbalance between what you’re drinking and what you’re losing can happen because of:
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Fever
- Heat exhaustion
- Overexertion
- Post-viral fatigue
- Respiratory illnesses
In addition to fluids, IV micronutrients can make a significant difference in your recovery from illness and the effects of dehydration. It’s not always possible to absorb sufficient levels of vitamins and nutrients from the food you eat, but IV therapy can replenish and restore vitamin levels, ensuring you’re at the peak of health.
What are the symptoms of dehydration?
If you’re severely dehydrated, you’ll almost certainly be aware of it unless you’re unconscious, because of the extreme thirst you’ll feel. However, mild to moderate dehydration doesn’t always make you feel especially thirsty. Also, it’s not unusual to mistake thirst for hunger.
Many of the symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration aren’t obviously related to a lack of water and could have other causes. Typical symptoms include:
- Constipation
- Dry or rough skin
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
- Sleepiness
If you ever have any of these symptoms, it’s always worth increasing your water intake to see if the cause is mild dehydration – you might be surprised at how often this is the case.
If you would benefit from hydration because of ill health, exertion, or to help you with your training, Dr. Steel can prepare the most effective vitamin-enriched IV fluid for your needs. Call Steel Family Medicine today to schedule an IV hydration therapy appointment or book online.