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Intravenous therapy is effective in promoting one’s health and wellness. If correctly done, the infusion of vitamins and minerals into the bloodstream can help provide immediate hydration, reverse vitamin/mineral deficiency and ensure direct absorption.  However, an improper infusion is dangerous for patients. It may result in complications like infiltration, infection, air embolism, and vein inflammation due to the high pH administered. The worst would be a hematoma, leakage of blood from the vessels into surrounding tissues.  To prevent such complications, healthcare providers must ensure they deploy the following safety precautions and measures: Proper Handling of Equipment The safety of any medical procedure significantly depends on the medical equipment and how the process is conducted. Doctors and nurses must adequately understand various equipment and handle them per the manufacturers’ guidelines.  Also, staff must be trained on how to use various infusion types and devices. Since the IV therapy is infusion administered with needles, it requires no errors. So, the entire process should be directed or inspected by a qualified and licensed physician to minimize risks.   Adequate Screening All drugs would cause side effects, and some may even worsen a patient’s underlying conditions. So, doctors must properly review their patients’ medical history like surgical and reactions to various medications.  Check for any signs of allergies like rash and hives, blisters, and swelling of various body parts. Also, ask about the patient’s likelihood of electrolyte or fluid problems. Consult if they ever experienced mood changes and confusion, muscles weakness and pain or any other abnormal feeling after taking fluids.  A proper review of all the infections and underlying conditions would ensure that the type of treatment given to the patient is safe or appropriate to their health.  Effective Use of Technology No doubt, but technology impacts the health sector in various ways. It has ensured that diverse health professionals remotely manage their patients, schedule appointments, and respond to different emergencies, thus boosting patient care.  So, to facilitate and complete evaluation of IV therapy patients, doctors and nurses should incorporate TeleMedicine; use of digital communication devices and computers to improve access and delivery of health services. Through this technology, medical experts would be able to give instructions, watch, and see their patients’ progress irrespective of the location.   This technology would also help remind the patients about their medications, appointments or check-up dates. This helps avoid any severe consequences that would result from missed or delayed medication taking and appointments.  For health centers that struggle to keep patients’ history, deploying Telemedicine would help keep patients for easy screening. Managing regular patients would be easier as their details are held on the clouds.  Meaning medical experts can get essential information about patients’ past medical history, test results, diagnosis and their body reactions to various treatment methods just with a touch of a button. This ensures faster and adequate medical assistance.  Conclusion IV therapy can be a complicated process if carelessly conducted. Therefore, before starting infusion therapy, medical experts must procure their patients’ medical history and analyze any underlying reaction that the vitamin/mineral infusion would worsen. Doctors and nurses must also adequately understand and handle all the medical equipment and ensure the equipment is safe and taken from reputable manufacturers.

Intravenous (IV) hydration is the easiest and effective way to deliver vitamins and mineral nutrients into the body. Instead of ingesting the nutrients, which may lower the number of vitamins the body requires, IV bypasses the digestive system. Meaning, nutrients are instantly and directly absorbed into the bloodstream.  Not only does IV improve the effectiveness and delivery of medications and other nutrients into the body, but the infusion also ensures 100% absorption, thus minimizing nutrient wastage. Even better, it makes the nutrients available for immediate body use.  Since drip hydration entails direct delivery into the bloodstream, it, therefore, can improve or impact the body’s function in various ways. Here are reasons to consider getting IV vitamin hydration: It’s More Convenient and Efficient  Previously, people considered drinking a lot of fluids as the primary way to dehydrate. However, researchers have proven that process ineffective. In fact, most studies suggest that when a person drinks fluids, their digestive tract and tissues tend to absorb most of the fluids, causing dehydration.  However, IV vitamin hydration will ensure all the essential liquids get into the bloodstream hydrating all the muscles. This makes it a more convenient and efficient way of delivering nutrients directly into the body.  Boosting The Body Immunity IV hydration is a perfect way to provide the body with various nutrients, vitamin C and vitamin B12 that effectively boost the body’s immunity. Such vitamins help treat and manage certain nutrient deficiencies like cystic fibrosis, colon cancer, and celiac disease.  In most cases, individuals living with such conditions would not get enough nutrients to deal with their situations. But with IV, vitamin hydration benefits such persons by providing the nutrients directly into their bloodstream and immediately boosts the cells’ function and immunity.  Boost Cognitive Functions To efficiently and correctly function, the brain needs to be adequately hydrated. Experiencing thirst means the body has sensed a reduction in the body and requires more liquid. With less fluid in the body, individuals may suffer slow information processing and impaired memory. IV vitamin hydration, however, helps deliver vitamin nutrients on time, thus ensuring faster cognitive functions.  Increases Energy Levels IV vitamin involves nutrients like amino acids that convert fatty acids into energy. Thus ensuring the energy is enough to run one’s daily activities. Improves the Body Recovery Time Engaging in physical activities or vigorous training may mean pushing the body to help maintain performance. During such times, the body requires a continuous supply of nutrients.  IV drips would help the body recover quickly from the stretch by providing more fluids to the bloodstream. Or through maintaining the body constituents’ nutrients of vitamins and minerals.  Improve the General Well-Being The body needs a certain amount of nutrients and fluids to function well. Though the amount of vitamins and minerals required may differ from person to person, IV hydration would help the body in various ways, including: Combating fatigue, chronic pain, and allergies Accelerating would healings and reduce migraines symptoms Maintaining the strength of muscles and tissues and improve mental clarity Conclusion IV drip therapy effectively improves the general well-being of an individual as it directly supplies nutrients into the bloodstream to improve various functions.

Losing weight is a difficult endeavor. It’s quite a journey that requires patience and discipline to stick to a diet, find the motivation to exercise, and overall live a healthier lifestyle. For some, losing weight sounds like an almost impossible feat, which is why many turn to surgical weight loss options. Although surgery offers a quick solution to remove excess body fat and shed some pounds, it’s also a highly costly and invasive procedure that requires proper recovery. Luckily, new technologies and techniques have been developed to help people lose fat without having to go under the knife. These are referred to as body sculpting or body contouring treatments.  Two of the most popular non-invasive weight loss treatments are the Strawberry Laser Lipo and Coolsculpting. Both are non-surgical procedures that help a patient remove excess fat in their own unique ways. In this article, we break down the two body contouring treatments to help you make an informed decision about which one is right for you.  Strawberry Laser Lipo  Strawberry Laser Lipo is a modern innovation based on the traditional liposuction treatment. It offers the same benefits, i.e. reducing body fat and targeting problem areas, without any pain or the need for recovery time. This treatment makes use of high-level 3B laser beams, which access the body through Strawberry Laser Lipo paddles placed on the target areas. The lasers penetrate the skin about nine to 13mm deep to reach and burn excess fat.  In a nutshell, the treatment triggers and enhances the body’s natural process of burning fat. When the lasers beam, they create pores on fat cells, which causes them to spill, moving water, fatty acids, and glycerol, out of the system. They also reduce the size of adipocyte cells, stimulate the lymphatic system to remove fat and tighten the skin, and pass it down to urine.  As a result, the Strawberry Laser Lipo treatment yields an almost instant reduction in fat. After every treatment, the skin in the target areas appears tighter and smoother and cellulite appearance decreases dramatically.  This non-invasive procedure requires at least eight sessions to achieve the best results. Although it seems excessive, there is nothing to worry about because it is absolutely painless and in most cases doesn’t leave any scars, marks, or burns on the skin.  Coolsculpting Another body contouring option that is preferred by both medical practitioners and patients alike is Coolsculpting. In stark contrast to Strawberry Laser Lipo that, in a way, burns excess fat beneath the skin, Coolsculpting freezes fat cells in the body.  Two cooling panels with high-level suctions are used to kickstart Cryolipolysis, which is the process of freezing fat cells until they become crystallized and die. When done properly, Coolsculpting can reduce fat by up to 19%. This option is best for targeting areas with large amounts of fat as this enables the suction and cooling to work better.  Because of the intense cooling required for Coolsculpting to work, patients may feel pain or discomfort, especially during the first few minutes of the procedure. Some patients also report side effects, such as bruising, firmness, redness, stinging, swelling, tingling, and mild pain.  It can take some time for the benefits to become visible, usually about three weeks to two months post-treatment. It then takes another four to six months for the body to completely expel the crystallized fat cells.  Differences of Strawberry Laser Lipo and Coolsculpting  These two procedures have the same purpose — to get rid of unwanted fat in specific areas of the body. But they do have their fair share of differences in how they go about it, as well as potential risks, side effects, recovery time, etc.  Duration of Treatment  The process of Strawberry Laser Lipo lasts about 20 minutes per session. Coolsculpting, on the other hand, can take as long as one hour.  Process  As mentioned, the Strawberry Laser Lipo procedure removes fat by shrinking the fat cells while Coolsculpting freezes the fat.  Results Time  Patients of Strawberry Laser Lipo will be able to see results immediately after treatment. Coolsculpting can take up to three months to show a visible reduction in fat.  Pain & Side Effects  Strawberry Laser Lipo has no known side effects and is a relatively painless procedure. Patients of Coolsculpting, however, report pain, discomfort, bruising, swelling, and tingling, among others after treatment.  Cost Strawberry Laser Lipo is the more affordable option, costing only $300 to $500 per target area. Coolsculpting has a steeper price of over $1,000 per target area and depending on how many body parts you want Coolsculpted, one session can cost about $2,000 to $4,000.  Which One Should You Get?  Strawberry Laser Lipo and Coolsculpting are both recommended body contouring treatments because of their non-invasive and non-surgical nature. Although they can yield the same results, it’s still best to consult with a professional to decide which process is more suitable for you. Schedule a consultation with our doctors today and get professional advice on your body sculpting options.

Drinking as much alcohol as you can possibly stomach is all fun and games until you wake up the following morning with a hangover. The severe headaches, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting — some of us here know the feeling all too well. No one likes the morning after a night out. But if we’re so sick of hangovers, why don’t we just stop drinking? Sure, avoiding alcohol is the ultimate solution to ending hangover woes. But it’s easier said than done, so we’ll do you one better. Thanks to new developments in medicine, you can cure your morning-after sickness and get hangover relief with IV therapy.  Why Do Hangovers Happen?  Before we dive into IV therapy and how it cures hangovers, you first need to understand why a hangover happens in the first place.  Alcohol is primarily made of ethanol, a product of yeast fermentation that triggers various different effects on the body and mind. Ethanol enters the bloodstream, penetrates the brain barrier, and interacts with brain cells. It suppresses the neurons in the brain and slows down its natural process. As a result, our brains get a little wonky, which of course, translates to how we behave when intoxicated, i.e. disorientation, slow responsiveness, slurred speech, etc.  Dehydration is also a consequence of excessive alcohol consumption because ethanol is a diuretic. When you drink, you are forced to take more bathroom breaks than usual. But what you are evacuating in your urine is not alcohol but water. This causes dehydration, which eventually leads to other hangover symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and lightheadedness.  What is IV Therapy?  IV therapy is the process of supplying the body with vitamins and nutrients directly into the bloodstream by means of an intravenous line. They do not go through the digestive system, and can immediately be accessed and used by the body’s cells, which means the results kick in pretty quickly!  That’s good news for people suffering from hangovers. IV therapy can provide almost immediate relief from common hangover symptoms and get you back feeling alert, alive, happy, and well. How Does IV Therapy Cure Hangovers?  The recipe for curing a hangover involves three ingredients: rehydration, detoxifying, and restoring lost nutrients. Naturally, hangovers go away over time once we have completed the recipe and have supplied our bodies with whatever it needs to recover from alcohol consumption. But this can take a while and hangover symptoms can last an entire day or two.  IV therapy can provide immediate hangover relief and complete the recipe for recovery within 30 to 60 minutes post-treatment. Through an intravenous line, an IV drip pushes lost water, vitamins, and nutrients into the bloodstream while also flushing out toxins and cleansing the body.  As the body’s cells begin to access and use the nutrients from the IV drip, our organs are able to resume regular functionality. They begin by addressing hangover symptoms and rehydrating the body to relieve any nausea, vomiting, headache, or other symptoms.  In the least amount of time after an IV treatment, we will be restored and back to feeling normal — as if we didn’t just chug that glass of beer the previous night!  Seek IV Therapy to Say Goodbye to Hangovers  Hangovers are a pain. They have a knack for making us promise to ourselves that we’ll never drink alcohol again — but we always end up doing it a second time. Although we can take the hard route and stop drinking once and for all, we can also opt for a more ideal and realistic solution for hangovers.  If you want to know more about IV therapy, schedule a consultation with our doctors today or even get mobile IV treatment for your hangovers.

Chronic pain is hard and uncomfortable to live with, and often, it seems like there is no cure for it. Over-the-counter painkillers don’t work, topical treatments don’t provide instant relief, and it’s starting to feel like you’ve run out of options. But there is a treatment that you might not have considered yet — IV therapy. Proven to have provided relief to many sufferers of chronic pain, seeking IV therapy treatments can help mitigate your pain levels and promote a more comfortable life.  What is IV Therapy?  IV therapy is a means of supplying the body with vitamins and nutrients it needs to function optimally. By attaching an intravenous line to an individual with chronic pain, they receive essential nutrients such as B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C directly into their bloodstream instead of the digestive system. That way, the body’s cells can utilize them immediately to aid bodily functions.  IV therapy is a painless procedure, except for the initial prick of the needle to attach the intravenous line. Taking over an hour for it to deliver the perfect dose of essential nutrients, many chronic pain sufferers say that IV therapy helps them relax while waiting for the results to kick in. There is also no downtime or side effects associated with it.  Who Should Get IV Therapy?  Chronic pain can be caused by a variety of underlying issues, such as inflammation, muscle or nerve damage, or a prior illness, disease, or injury. Regardless of the cause, IV therapy can help ease pain and discomfort. Anyone experiencing chronic pain should seek out IV therapy and talk to a doctor about creating a treatment plan to provide long-lasting relief.  How IV Therapy Helps With Chronic Pain  Chronic pain may be caused by the lack of essential vitamins and nutrients in the body. Since the body’s organs are not getting enough of the resources it needs to reduce inflammation and fight damage, it translates into pain or discomfort.  Through IV therapy, the body is supplied with enough essential nutrients it needs to function optimally. The organs in charge of fighting inflammation and relieving pain are improved and their functions are enhanced, therefore allowing the body to better ease and recover from chronic pain.  IV therapy is also customized for each patient, depending on what they need to relieve their pain. A doctor will provide a consultation and run some tests to determine the root cause of the patient’s discomfort and then recommend a specific IV therapy treatment to address it.  For example, if inflammation is the cause of your chronic pain, your doctor may customize your IV therapy to boost your immune system so that your body is supplied with what it needs to heal inflamed areas. Chronic pain caused by muscle damage, on the other hand, will need an IV therapy treatment that delivers magnesium to encourage muscle regrowth.  IV Therapy vs. Pain Medications: Which One is More Effective?  The first instinct when pain or discomfort starts is to take a pain reliever. But over-the-counter medications aren’t the best solution for chronic pain, especially if it is recurring. Our bodies can get accustomed to pain relievers over time, causing them to be less effective or even stop delivering their benefits. Pain medications can also cause side effects and do more harm than good when used too frequently and for too long.  IV therapy is a safe and more effective alternative. It is often administered with the guidance of a physician, so you can rest assured that you’re getting what you need and what your body can handle.  Get Started With IV Therapy  It’s high time to start considering IV therapy for chronic pain relief. If you want to explore its benefits or try out an IV therapy session, speak to our doctors today.

Losing weight can prove to be an incredibly difficult feat. It takes hard work, perseverance, and discipline to stick to a balanced diet, an exercise routine, and an overall healthy lifestyle. And despite these, it can take some time to notice results. Several people want to lose weight. But it’s a long commitment that many are not prepared to make. They want to see results fast. And from this rose all these trending weight loss hacks, diets, and seven-minute exercise routines. Others also resort to medical procedures such as liposuction, an invasive surgical procedure that eliminates excess body fat.  While liposuction sounds like a good option, it does have drawbacks — the biggest one being its invasiveness. Liposuction is done by licensed surgeons who cut through the skin to remove excess fat. As a procedure that requires surgery it can cause certain complications and more so requires a long recovery period and not to mention a large investment.  For those who are not ready to go under the knife and invest in a highly invasive weight loss procedure, the good news is that there are other options. Liposuction has its alternatives that are less invasive, less expensive, and similarly as effective.  Alternatives to Liposuction  There are three less invasive procedures that can yield relatively the same results as liposuction. These include cool sculpting, lipo laser, and strawberry lipo laser.  Cool Sculpting  Cool sculpting is a good alternative to liposuction that does not involve surgery. In fact, it is non-invasive and safe, taking only 35 minutes per session. The procedure is done by a doctor, who uses a patented CoolSculpting applicator to swipe through target areas, such as the tummy, legs, arms, or even jaw.  From its name, it’s pretty obvious that the applicator will be cold. Its purpose is to freeze fat cells and kill them for your body to process out later on. Because your body will need time to eliminate dead fat cells from your system, cool sculpting can take a while before the results show. Generally, you’ll lose weight a few weeks up to two months after the treatment.  However, that’s not to say that it’s not effective. Cool sculpting has been shown to eliminate up to 23% of body fat after every session. With its proven effectiveness, short procedure time, and non-invasiveness, it’s a good option for those who want to lose fat easily. However, it may not be recommended for people with skin conditions or disorders that cause blood clots. Learn more about the differences between cool sculpting vs strawberry lipo laser. Lipo Laser  While lipo laser does involve a certain level of invasiveness, it’s very minimal and requires only a local anesthetic. The recovery time is also short, taking only a couple of days for the incision to heal. But to be safe, strenuous physical activity is discouraged for about 3 to 4 weeks after the procedure.  When you undergo a lipo laser treatment, a doctor will numb the target area where you want to lose fat with anesthesia. They will then make small incisions on the skin and insert a laser, which will liquefy the fat. Then, a cannula will be inserted into the incision to suck the fat out. Because of its minimal invasiveness, there can be minor adverse effects, such as swelling or bruising. Although this sounds a little scary at first, lipo lasers are much safer compared to liposuction, as long as it’s done by a licensed and experienced doctor. Strawberry Lipo Laser  If you’re still concerned about the invasiveness of a regular lipo laser and aren’t keen on trying the cool sculpting procedure, there’s still the strawberry lipo laser treatment option. Unlike its general counterpart, this FDA-approved treatment does not require making incisions on the skin.  Instead, a stronger but safe laser is used above the skin’s surface, targeting the areas where you want to reduce fat. The laser hits fat cells and opens up the skin’s pores, allowing your body to release stored fluids, such as water, glycerol, and fatty acids. Without these fluids, fat cells beneath the skin will shrink, an effect that you will notice almost immediately after the treatment.  It’s recommended, however, that you complete about eight sessions of strawberry lipo laser to get a significant reduction of fat cell size. But because it is non-invasive, does not have side effects, and requires no downtime, the frequency of treatments should not be a cause of concern.  The only limitations are for pregnant women, people with pacemakers, tattoos in the targeted areas, hypertension, kidney or liver disorders, and cancer.  Lose Weight Fast and Safely  There are a lot of weight loss hacks and diets surfacing, however, not all of them are guaranteed safe and effective. The best way to lose excess fat is to turn to professionals. Get medical advice and ask our doctors about liposuction or its alternatives today. 

Living a healthy life that is free from any ailments, disease, or illness is dependent on various genetic factors and lifestyle decisions. Some of the most common include getting the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily, drinking at least 8 cups of water a day, eating a well-balanced diet, and taking time to engage in physical activity. Everything that we do on a daily basis contributes to our overall health and wellness. And with that, good medical care should be able to target every area of a patient’s life and recommend habit or lifestyle changes to foster improved health. This is what is referred to as functional medicine.  Functional Medicine: An Overview  When asked “what do doctors do?”, the usual answer is that they treat illnesses or disorders and assist in patient recovery. This is the traditional route to healthcare, where doctors identify problems in a patient’s body and implement focused treatment plans to alleviate them.  Traditionally, doctors view body organs as artificially separated. For example, if they diagnose a problem with a patient’s liver, every treatment or procedure will revolve around liver treatment. Often, without considering the other parts of the body and how they contribute to liver health.  But a problem with the liver can point to various other issues, such as the patient’s diet, metabolism, etc. Different parts of the body communicate and work together — and the failure of one can create effects in other body parts that it’s intertwined with.  This calls for a more holistic approach to healthcare, which doctors are beginning to refer to as functional medicine. Instead of treating body parts and organs as separate from each other, functional medicine considers the body as a whole, identifying how different factors affect each other and diagnosing the root of an illness or disease.  Functional medicine takes lifestyle factors into consideration, including the patient’s diet, stress levels, hormones, toxins, and lifestyle changes, in order to create a treatment that targets each area of life. This approach to medicine is prevention-focused instead of treatment-focused, meaning that it doesn’t only treat pre-existing conditions, but overall helps a patient foster better health and wellness to prevent problems in the long run.  In short, functional medicine is about transforming lifestyles, supporting the body’s ability to heal, and supplying its unique requirements through habits and lifestyle changes.  What Functional Medicine Requires From Doctors  Doctors need to shift from traditional healthcare to a more holistic functional medicine approach to help a patient live healthier lives and prevent illnesses or diseases. It requires a change in mindset and thinking outside the bounds of traditional treatments and medicine.  Instead of focusing on the patient’s condition, functional doctors should put all the pieces together, perusing the body’s connected systems and treating the whole person — not just the illness itself. It requires realizing that not every patient is the same, which may call for unique courses of action from person to person.  A practitioner of functional medicine asks the following questions when treating a patient:  Why does the patient have this condition?  Is it because of factors such as their weight, hormones, toxins, stress, or diet?  Is this condition linked to other parts or functionalities in the body?  Aside from direct treatments, what changes can the patient make to prevent the condition from resurfacing?  By adopting a more functional mindset, doctors can better prevent problems from recurring and promote overall health and wellness that lasts.  Experience Functional Medicine at Elevated Concierge Health and Wellness The doctors at Elevated Concierge Health and Wellness are functional medicine practitioners who provide an individualized approach to healthcare and offer a personal experience for each patient. We look not only at the illnesses or disorders themselves but take an initiative to find and address their root cause and optimize your health from the inside out.  Experience a more holistic approach to healthcare with Elevated Concierge. Schedule an appointment today.