A review of quickly recovering after getting the flu and receiving IV therapy!!

IV fluids are administered when it is difficult to eat food orally or when dehydration is severe. When you have a cold or flu, lose your appetite, and experience cough, runny nose, and body aches, the medication prescribed is good, but receiving IV fluids definitely helps improve poor condition and speeds up recovery from cold and flu symptoms.

 

 

When my family catches a cold or gets a flu shot, we often go to an otolaryngology clinic rather than a general internal medicine clinic. It may vary from hospital to hospital, but when we go to internal medicine for a cold, they usually check the temperature, ask about symptoms, and just prescribe medication. However, at an otolaryngology clinic, even if we visit for a cold, they carefully check inside the mouth, use a stethoscope, examine the ears, and look inside the nose, and they explain the current condition in detail. That's why I think we tend to visit otolaryngology clinics more often.

My son and I went to the ENT clinic because we had flu symptoms. After being diagnosed with the flu and receiving medication, the doctor asked if we wanted to get IV fluids. Since it was said to help recover quickly and improve symptoms faster, I received an IV injection. During the injection, there was a separate personal bedding area with a warm heating mat underneath the bedding and curtains, creating a warm and comfortable space to rest, which made me feel at ease. I really slept soundly for about 40-50 minutes while receiving the injection and woke up feeling refreshed.

Even if it's not a cold or flu, when you're unusually tired or not feeling well, getting an IV drip seems to definitely help recover your condition^^

Intravenous fluids deliver water and nutrients directly into the body through the veins, bypassing the digestive tract, which makes their effect quite rapid.

 

Intravenous fluids, commonly referred to as "Linger," are a treatment method and a term for the solutions used in this method. They refer to the administration of fluids and electrolytes necessary for daily life through non-oral means, specifically by drip infusion into the veins or subcutaneous injection. In simple terms, it is a treatment method that involves injections to supplement the body's needed but deficient fluids and electrolytes. The typical uses include hydration, electrolyte replenishment, nutritional support, blood replacement, and oxygen supply, among others, with the contents varying according to the purpose. These are generally applied to patients in a manner where different purposes are mixed or combined based on the patient's condition. Unlike regular water, they have the characteristic of being rapidly absorbed into the body through osmotic pressure effects.

 

 

Types of IV fluids?

Glucose is the best energy source for humans as well as most living organisms, and it is used to supply fluids and sugars for dehydration prevention and correction. In fact, it is the most commonly used type, and it is often administered continuously by mixing it with medications (such as antibiotics or other therapeutic drugs) rather than as a single solution. Occasionally, when used for energy recovery, it may be mixed with multivitamins or nutrient injections for deficiencies. As a side effect, glucose generally does not cause significant problems, but for diabetic patients, a sudden increase in blood sugar levels can occur with glucose infusion, requiring a doctor's prescription. There is a rumor that frequent glucose injections can cause diabetes, but this is a misconception; simply receiving large amounts of glucose does not cause diabetes.

 

Amino acids refer to the basic units that make up protein molecules, and they are substances containing amino acids that are well soluble in water. The so-called "nutritional IV fluids" used for energy recovery are precisely these amino acids. The effect of amino acids is to supplement proteins in patients with poor nutritional status. While they are useful for correcting nutritional balance, they can be harmful to patients with liver cirrhosis who have impaired liver function. Especially in cases of proteinuria or kidney function problems, it is safest to determine whether to use them only after consultation and prescription by a doctor.

 

Saline solution refers to a solution that is prepared by adjusting the concentration to be similar to the body's bodily fluids, specifically a 0.9% NaCl (sodium chloride) solution. Unlike regular water, physiological saline does not cause osmotic pressure changes (the phenomenon where substances are transported due to pressure differences) even when it enters the body, so it does not cause shock or similar effects when administered in liquid form. The purpose of administering saline is primarily to supply fluids to patients showing dehydration symptoms, often prescribed before glucose solutions, and it is also used for patients with diabetes who are sensitive to sugar. Additionally, it is used to raise blood pressure in patients with hypotension. However, in patients with heart or kidney diseases, saline administration can cause shortness of breath or swelling, so caution should be exercised during administration.

 

Albumin is a simple protein that is widely distributed in living cells and body fluids, and it, along with globulin, constitutes the basic material of cells. In our bodies, it accounts for a large proportion of serum and plays a role in transporting various hormones in the blood as well as maintaining osmotic pressure. Albumin cannot be artificially manufactured and can only be separated from blood obtained through blood donation, making it relatively expensive. This albumin is synthesized in the liver and is mainly used for patients with liver and kidney diseases, or for those experiencing excessive bleeding or severe edema. If you are considering it solely for nutritional supplementation, it is sufficient to supplement with amino acid preparations in normal individuals, and even if administered, it will be excreted in the urine.

 

 

There are many types of IV injections, and there are specific injections that I need, so be sure to consult a specialist~

And since the cost of IV fluid injections is not burdensome, but there are differences in prices between hospitals, it might be helpful to check in advance before you go^^