When a Mayo nurse suffered with bad morning sickness during two pregnancies, the only ‘cure’ she could find came from America — now she is bringing the solution to other expectant mothers in Ireland.
Deborah O’Sullivan from Geesala, Co Mayo, discovered that wearing ReliefBand, an innovative product that sufferers wear on the wrist like a watch, offered her badly-needed relief from her pregnancy sickness.
“It allowed me to control my excruciating nausea and vomiting without medication and without delay,” she said.
Now, four years later, she has secured exclusive distribution rights for ReliefBand in Ireland and the UK.
“Morning sickness was a scourge for me, just as it is for many other mothers. First of all, it is wrongly named, because it lasts all day, not just for the morning,” said Ms O'Sullivan, a qualified intensive care nurse with vast additional experience in medical sales.
“And while some people only suffer for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, it is not uncommon for mothers to experience morning sickness right throughout their pregnancies. Any woman who has experienced morning sickness will never forget the seemingly endless cycle of vomiting, nausea, and dizziness.”
ReliefBand, developed by ReliefBand Technologies, is a wearable device that uses clinically proven technology called neuromodulation to treat morning sickness. The technology was developed for use in hospitals and uses the body’s own natural neural pathways to 'turn off' nausea. It has Federal Drug Authority (FDA ) clearance.
"When I used ReliefBand during my second pregnancy I was amazed by the results," Ms O'Sullivan recalled. "My sister-in-law bought it in America for me. I put it on my wrist and I had positive results within minutes. I was particularly impressed by the fact that it is a drug-free solution.
“Last year, I noticed that ReliefBand was only available in America, and I approached the company as an enthusiastic previous user to see if I could distribute it here in Ireland and in the UK. They were very interested in that prospect, and I recently secured exclusive rights.”
ReliefBand works by generating programme pulses that stimulate the median nerve on the arm. The generated signals travel via the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system, and the higher emetic centre of the brain. The signals modulate the natural neural pathways between the brain and the stomach, via the vagus nerve, restoring normal gastric rhythm and relieving nausea and vomiting.
It retails at €129, including next-day delivery by registered post anywhere in Ireland. It can be purchased at www.reliefband.ie
“When people purchase ReliefBand, our customer service line is available to answer any questions they have about how to place it on their hands, how to set the pulse level, and how to use the conductivity gel that protects the skin. And, if after 30 days, they find that it is just not working for them, for whatever reason, we offer a full money back guarantee,” Ms O'Sullivan added. “The feedback here and in the USA is that it works for about 90 per cent of women, which is really phenomenal.”
