Dialysis - Purpose, Procedure, Cost And Side Effects

Yes, can be stopped as per the decision made by the patient. It is advised to discuss the options with your medical professional.

You may need to undergo dialysis in the following conditions:

• If you are suffering from chronic kidney disease, you may require treatment until the time you decide to go for a Kidney transplant.
• Some people opt for this treatment if they come across symptoms of kidney failure like swelling, Fatigue, Nausea or Vomiting.
• When the results of your lab tests show high levels of waste in your blood. The rise in the blood urea nitrogen level and the creatinine level are indicators of the poor performance of the kidneys.

Dialysis is usually not recommended for the following people:

• Those who have some major illness apart from a damaged kidney like a heart or a lung disease
• Peripheral artery disease of the legs, where your arteries become narrower and decrease the blood flow to your legs.

Usually dialysis is done 3 times a week and takes about 4 hours

If a person had acute kidney failure then it can get well with the process of dialysis. The kidney may also start working fine and you may not need dialysis again. But if you are suffering from chronic kidney failure then or at the end stage then dialysis becomes mandatory and is needed for the rest of your life.

In serious cases when the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) drops down or the kidneys have completely failed, only then the formation of urine stop, other than that the patient will continue to make urine in the body even after Dialysis.

The key function of Dialysis is to filter your blood. So when the fluid and waste products start to pile up in case the kidneys fail to filter the blood properly, Dialysis comes in handy. In the case of high blood pressure and diabetes, one is most likely to curve towards kidney failure.

Below are some of the post treatment guidelines of a dialysis patient:

• You must be careful about what you are eating and drinking. Take the advice of your doctor regarding the amount of protein, salt, and fluid that you are supposed to consume.
• Avoid smoking, drugs or the consumption of alcohol that can affect the condition of your kidneys.
• Check for redness, swelling or pus at the incision site that has been made. If you see any of these signs, consult the doctor.
• Ensure that the bandage covering the catheter is dry and clean
• The person who helps with your treatment must always wash their hands properly before helping.

Depending upon the time, Dialysis can lead to different side effects, some of them are:

In the case of hemo Dialysis, common side effects may include:

• Insomnia
• Loss of sex drive
• Bone and joint pain
• Dry mouth
• Anxiety

These side effects can be temporary and do not cause any major side effects. But hemoDialysis can also lead to serious repercussions like:

• Low blood pressure (hypotension): Dialysis can cause a drop in blood flow leading to different temporary symptoms like nausea and dizziness.
• Sepsis (blood poisoning): If the tools are used to carry any bacterial, viral or fungal they may enter into the body through Dialysis causing multiple organ failures. Signs of blood poisoning can be a temperature above 38 C and dizziness.
• Muscle cramps: In the process of hemoDialysis Dialysis, there is a lot of fluctuation in the bodily fluid which can lead to muscle cramps. The patient often feels pain in the lower leg.
• Itchy skin: The development of new minerals in the body via Dialysis may experience itching skin during or after the process.

In the case of peritoneal Dialysis, side effects may include:

• Peritoneum (peritonitis) bacterial infection: If the tools used for Dialysis carry any bacterial they can reach the thin layer of tissue present in the stomach causing the following side effects:
  • Feeling and being sick.
  • Body temperature of 38C and above.
  • Experiencing chills.
  • Dialysis fluid becoming cloudy.
  • Abdominal pain.
• Hernia: It can be caused due to an overfilled peritoneal cavity causing pressure on the abdomen muscles leading to a hernia. It can be identified by a painless lump feeling under the abdomen's skin. The pain can excavate while coughing or bending over.
• Weight gain: Peritoneal Dialysis fluid includes sugar molecules that can increase the overall calorie content causing sudden weight gain.

Long-term Dialysis can be tiring for the patient making them feel tired and sleepy. It is quite common among the patients, resulting in depression overlapping with fatigue and daytime sleepiness. It can be easily recovered via a fruitful diet recommended by your physician.

It is debatable to say whether sweating is effective for Dialysis patients or not. On one side sweating will release a high concentration of urea via sweat fluid, which at some level clears the blood. On the other hand, the quantity of urea released via thermal sweating is just one-quarter of the quantity that needs to be released within 24-hour urination by the human body.

So in conclusion, even though it may release a bit of toxin from your body, it is not fully efficient or useful if a patient undergoing Dialysis.

Yes, It has been seen that in case the patient has an underlying condition of cardiac disease may have a sudden heart attack during Dialysis. As the process often fluctuates blood pressure and sugar levels, one can be at risk of a cardiac condition.

A person who is going through dialysis regularly than the average life expectancy of the person becomes 5-10 years but that also depends upon the medical condition of the person that he/she is getting advantage from that process. However, in some cases, the patient can live up to 20-30 years also.

If a person is on dialysis and stops getting it lives only for an average of 10 days because the dirty liquid starts accumulating inside the body.

If dialysis stops working then the only option left is kidney transplant and if this does not work then the patient can die from this disease.

The most common cause of death in the dialysis patient is hyperkalemia and this situation often occurs when there are any missed dialysis or dietary indiscretion. If a person is suffering from cardiovascular disease along with kidney failure then the chance of the death of that person increases up to 10-29 times.

In case a patient cuts down on its calorie content, only then do Dialysis patients lose weight. Loss of appetite is not a good sign as it can be a sign of a serious problem or low survival rate.

Normally a person needs to drink almost 2 liter or 8 glasses of water every day in order to maintain the hydration level, but in case a person is undergoing Dialysis, one needs to limit their fluid intake to less than one liter or 32 ounces per day.

Foods with high fiber, caffeine, and preservatives can trigger the production of toxins in the blood. Here is a list of food items that should be avoided in case of Dialysis:

• Dark-colored soda.
• Avocados.
• Canned foods.
• Whole wheat bread.
• Brown rice.
• Bananas.
• Diary.
• Orange.
• Processed meat.
• Pickles.
• Olive.
• Reddish.
• Apricots.
• Potatoes.
• Tomatoes.
• Swiss cheddar.
• Spinach.

Summary: Dialysis can be defined as the purification of blood in case the kidney fails to do so in normal circumstances. There are three types of Dialysis named Peritoneal Dialysis, HemoDialysis, and CRRT.