What Is Dialysis?
Kidney Dialysis Is a treatment for people whose kidneys are failing. When you have kidney failure, your kidneys don’t filter blood the way they should. As a result, wastes and toxins build up in your bloodstream. Dialysis does the work of your kidneys, removing waste products and excess fluid from the blood.
Who Needs Dialysis?
People who have kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), may need dialysis. Injuries and conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and lupus can damage kidneys, leading to kidney disease.
Some people develop kidney problems for no known reason. Kidney failure can be a long-term condition, or it can come on suddenly (acute) after a severe illness or injury. This type of kidney failure may go away as you recover.
There are five stages of kidney disease. In stage 5 kidney disease, healthcare providers consider you to be in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. At this point, kidneys are carrying out around 10% to 15% of their normal function. You may need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. Some people undergo dialysis while waiting for a transplant.
What Is Dialysis And How Is It Done?
One needle will slowly remove blood and transfer it to a machine called a dialyser or dialysis machine. The dialysis machine is made up of a series of membranes that act as filters and a special liquid called dialysate. The membranes filter waste products from your blood, which are passed into the dialysate fluid.
Does Dialysis Hurt?
The dialysis treatment itself is painless. However, some patients may have a drop in their blood pressure that could lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches or cramps. However, if you take care to follow your kidney diet and fluid restrictions these types of side effects can be avoided.
What Causes a Person To Require Dialysis?
When your kidneys lose their filtering abilities, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes can build up in your body. With end-stage renal disease, you need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.
What Are Signs That You Need Dialysis?
National Kidney Foundation guidelines recommend you start dialysis when your kidney function drops to 15% or less or if you have severe symptoms caused by your kidney disease, such as: shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting.
What Happens When Someone Is On Dialysis?
With hemodialysis, a machine removes blood from your body, filters it through a dialyzer (artificial kidney) and returns the cleaned blood to your body. This 3- to 5-hour process may take place in a hospital or a dialysis center three times a week.
How Long Can You Survive On Dialysis?
Life expectancy on dialysis can vary depending on your other medical conditions and how well you follow your treatment plan. Average life expectancy on dialysis is 5-10 years, however, many patients have lived well on dialysis for 20 or even 30 years.
What Happens If You Don’t Do Dialysis?
If you don’t have dialysis, your kidneys will continue to fail and you eventually will die. How long you could live depends on your overall health aside from your kidney disease and how much kidney function you have left. As death nears, you will start to: Feel sleepy and weak.
When Is It Time To Stop Dialysis?
When Discontinuing Dialysis Is Considered. The patient also has an acute illness that will cause a great deal of disability if he survives (for example, a stroke). The patient has a progressive and untreatable disease (diabetes, or cancer, for example).
Types Of Dialysis?
There are two ways to get dialysis:
- Hemodialysis.
- Peritoneal dialysis
What Is Hemodialysis?
With hemodialysis, a machine removes blood from your body, filters it through a dialyzer (artificial kidney) and returns the cleaned blood to your body. This 3- to 5-hour process may take place in a hospital or a dialysis center three times a week.
You can also do hemodialysis at home. You may need at-home treatments four to seven times per week for fewer hours each session. You may choose to do home hemodialysis at night while you sleep.
What Is Peritoneal Dialysis?
With peritoneal dialysis, tiny blood vessels inside the abdominal lining (peritoneum) filter blood through the aid of a dialysis solution. This solution is a type of cleansing liquid that contains water, salt and other additives.
Peritoneal dialysis takes place at home. There are two ways to do this treatment:
- Automated peritoneal dialysis uses a machine called a cycler.
- Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) takes place manually.
Does Dialysis Improve Health?
Patients receiving more frequent dialysis had improvements in heart health and blood pressure, as well as in overall health. The more frequent treatments also helped avoid excessive phosphate levels in the blood, which is often a problem for patients on dialysis.
Dialysis Prices In Ghana:
Cost and Mode of Payment of Dialysis Services In Ghana.. The cost per session of haemodialysis service is GHC 200.00 Dialysis for acute kidney injury is covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) with a flat fee of GHC 850.00 for the full cost of acute dialysis.!!!