How Can you Make Dialysis Process Easy?

 

Dialysis is a long-term treatment that often consumes significant amounts of time, energy, and resources. While dialysis is sometimes required to sustain life, it is typically reserved for patients who suffer from advanced and irreversible kidney failure. The decision to administer dialysis should not be taken lightly and individuals must consult with a knowledgeable physician before agreeing to receive treatment.

 

Licensed medical providers who specialize in nephrology can review an individual's unique medical state and outline the reasons why they feel that dialysis is the appropriate course of action. In addition, patients are encouraged to develop a basic understanding of the different indications for dialysis so that they are better able to appreciate the physician's logic.

 

Schedule regular appointments

 

Once you locate dialysis centers in your area, you need to schedule your appointments at one or more centers. You don't have to go to the same one every time, so if your schedule makes one center more convenient than another on some days of the week, you can alternate between them. Your doctor will have told you how frequently you need to have dialysis treatment, and it's your responsibility to make appointments according to that schedule. Most patients will go to dialysis treatments three times per week.

 

Prepare for and attend appointments

 

Your dialysis appointments will take up a large part of your time, so you'll want to make sure you're comfortable during your appointments. You want to wear comfortable clothing that won't make you feel pinched while you're sitting. You may feel cold during dialysis because your blood circulates outside of your body to the dialysis machine, so you will probably also want to wear something that will help keep you warm. Lastly, always plan your round trip to dialysis for convenience.

 

Do follow dietary recommendations

 

You may need to change your diet during dialysis to make the process go more smoothly. After you find a dialysis center and attend an appointment, keep in close contact with your medical care providers to learn if you need to be modifying your diet. They may recommend limiting fluids and salt to help keep your body from holding on to unnecessary water.