Dialysis

• What is dialysis?
• Types of dialysis
• How to prepare for dialysis?
• Diet for dialysis patients
• Can dialysis cure kidney failure?
• Side effects of dialysis
• Is there alternative treatment to dialysis

What is dialysis?

When your kidney disease develop to end stage renal disease, dialysis is often recommended to prolong your life. It takes over part of your kidney function to filter harmful wastes and excess fluid from the blood.

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Types of dialysis

Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are the most common used dialysis. Both of them have their own advantages. You should choose the one that is suitable for you.
-Hemodialysis. It is to use the dialyzer to filter the wastes and toxins from your blood. Under normal circumstance, you should go to the dialysis center 3 times a week. It takes you 4 to 5 hours per time.
-Peritoneal dialysis. It is to use your own peritoneal membrane to filter your blood. Compared to hemodialysis, it is more convenient and allows you to live a normal life. You can do peritoneal dialysis while you do other things, such as sleeping and working.

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How to prepare for dialysis?

When your kidney disease develops to stage 4, you should prepare for kidney dialysis. If you decide to do hemodialysis, a fistula may be surgically inserted into your forearm. If you decide to do peritoneal dialysis, you may need an operation to insert a catheter near your bellybutton.

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Diet for dialysis patients

Dialysis removes wastes from your blood. A dialysis diet also helps to decrease the amount of wastes that build up in your blood. Because dialysis may take away part of protein, you need more protein than you did before you started dialysis. With hemodialysis, you may have to limit the intake of phosphorus, potassium, sodium and fluid. With peritoneal dialysis, you may have less diet restrictions.

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Can dialysis cure kidney failure?

Dialysis is only a kidney replacement therapy. Your polluted blood can be cleansed, but the damaged kidneys can not be repaired, so dialysis can not cure kidney failure. Besides, long term dialysis can impair the remaining nephrons and lower kidney function. Eventually, you will have to do dialysis or wait for a kidney transplant.

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Side effects of dialysis

Dialysis always leads to many side effects. Here lists part of them.
Hemodialysis can cause low blood pressure, infection, cramps, nausea, headaches, itchy skin, etc. While peritoneal dialysis can cause infection, hernia, nutritional deficiency, etc.
However, these side effects should not restrain you from dialysis, because its advantages far out weigh its disadvantages.

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Is there alternative treatment to dialysis

Medical scientists have been exploring breakthrough in treating kidney disease. Besides dialysis and kidney transplant, there emerges Polluted Blood Therapy, Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies, etc. You can choose the proper treatment for your disease. For more information, please contact our online doctors or leave a message below.

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