Basics You Need To Know About Treatment For Kidney Failure
odiYes, being diagnosed with kidney failure can be stressful. Here is the good news for you. Most people treated for kidney failure live 5 to 10 years. Many have lived around 20 or more years. When you have kidney failure, almost 90% of your kidney function will get impaired. You need treatment for kidney failure to stay alive. Here is the basic information on treatment options available.
What can be done for kidney failure?
The treatment options for kidney failure are:
- Dialysis
- Hemodialysis
- Peritoneal dialysis
- Kidney transplant
- Medical management
Your health care team evaluates your health and decides which treatment option is suitable for you. The decision on when your treatment for kidney failure begins is based on your symptoms, nutritional status, how less your kidney function is, and other health problems you have.
Dialysis treatment for kidney failure:
Dialysis removes the extra fluid and wastes from your blood when your kidneys are no longer able to do it. Dialysis keeps safe levels of minerals such as sodium, potassium and sodium bicarbonate in your body and helps control blood pressure. There are two types of dialysis, peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis.
Hemodialysis:
In this treatment for kidney failure, your blood goes through tubes from the body into the dialysis machine. The blood gets filtered through a filter called a dialyzer, and the cleaned blood travels back into your body from the machine through tubes.
Prior to starting hemodialysis treatment, a minor surgery is performed to create a vascular access, a surgically created vein which facilitates the blood flow in and out of the body to a dialysis machine.
If you choose to have hemodialysis as the treatment for kidney failure, it can be done in the hospital or at home based on your wish and your medical condition. It is usually done three times a week, and each hemodialysis session lasts for three to four hours. The time needed for dialysis is determined based on your height, weight, and how much wastes buildup in your body.
Hemodialysis can remove the protein from your body. During hemodialysis, you will need to eat high-quality protein foods, avoid phosphorus rich foods, and limit your liquids. Your physician may prescribe a medicine called phosphate binder to lower phosphorus levels in the body.
Peritoneal dialysis:
Before you begin peritoneal dialysis, a catheter (soft plastic tube) is placed in your belly by minor surgery. In peritoneal dialysis, cleansing fluid called dialysate is put in your belly through the catheter. Dialysate uses the lining of the belly as a filter to clean the blood. Once the filtering process is over, the fluid leaves your body through the catheter.
You can do your peritoneal dialysis at home. Dialysis is done 4 or 5 times a day. The process of removing the used dialysate solution and filling in a new solution is called an exchange. Each exchange lasts 30 to 40 minutes. Exchanges can be done by yourself or using a machine.
Infection is the most common problem associated with this remedy for kidney failure. You will need to take suitable care of the catheter to prevent infections.
There are two types of peritoneal dialysis, automated peritoneal dialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Your physician will help to decide which type suits best for you.
Peritoneal dialysis will remove potassium from your body. You will need to eat potassium-rich foods and limit sodium, phosphorus and calories in your diet during treatment.
Kidney transplant, a remedy for kidney failure:
A kidney transplant is a surgery in which a healthy kidney from someone is placed into your body. A kidney donor may be a family member, someone who is willing to donate a kidney to a transplant or someone who has just died. While you’re waiting for a transplant, you may need to begin dialysis.
Usually, your own kidneys aren’t taken out in surgery unless there is a medical reason to remove them. The donated kidney will be placed into your lower abdomen to connect it to the vital blood vessels and bladder.
Our body usually attacks anything it sees as foreign. To protect your transplanted kidney from your immune system, you will be given immunosuppressant medications.
With this remedy for kidney failure, the diet restrictions are limited compared to other treatment options. A successful transplant may let you live as you were living before you got a kidney disorder.
Medical management:
You may choose not to get a kidney transplant or dialysis. In such cases, medical management is followed. Medical management focuses on managing the symptoms and quality of life as long as possible in kidney failure. Medical management will not keep you alive for a longer time.
Your doctor will prescribe medicines to treat problems of kidney failure such as anemia, but only a transplant or dialysis can filter blood to remove wastes. During medical management, you need to limit your protein intake to reduce the workload of kidneys.
How to choose your remedy for kidney failure?
Start learning about your treatment options, and think about how each remedy for kidney failure affects your day-to-day activities. Talk with people who already had a kidney transplant or dialysis to find out the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment. Doing these things can let you understand what can be done for kidney failure and helps you to choose your treatment.
