Dialysis is a life-saving procedure for patients with kidney failure. If your kidneys do not work well and can not excrete toxins out of your body, you may need to get dialysis done. It helps you survive and fight kidney disease, but it has its side effects too.
People undergoing dialysis need regular management and monitoring of various parameters. Your healthcare providers will monitor your health closely if you undergo dialysis. Moreover, they will also help you to cope with its side effects. To lower them, make sure that you eat whatever your healthcare providers allow. Do not eat anything else that is not good for your health. It will help prevent the occurrence of dialysis side effects.
There are two types of dialysis, hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, a machine is used to filter blood- the most common type of dialysis done. Both the dialysis types have their side effects.
If you have kidney disease, you must attend your visits with the healthcare provider regularly. Do not take your health lightly, especially if you have kidney disease. To get an expert opinion, you can consult with the Best Nephrologist in Lahore.
Here in this article, we will tell you the side effects of hemodialysis.
What Are The Side Effects Of Hemodialysis?
The common side effects of hemodialysis are:
Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure or hypotension is a condition in which your blood pressure falls below normal. It happens because, during treatment, fluid leaves your body, eventually causing your blood pressure to lower. The common symptoms of hypotension are dizziness, nausea, and blurry vision.
If you have a complaint of hypotension during the procedure, your healthcare provider may ask you not to take medications for high blood pressure before the dialysis. Changing their timings may help prevent hypotension.
Muscle Cramps
With hemodialysis, you may have a complaint of muscle cramps because of mineral and electrolyte imbalance or because fluid leaves your body readily. To prevent that, your healthcare providers will monitor your electrolytes and correct them soon. They normalize the levels of sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Not only it is needed to correct them because of muscle cramps, but their imbalance can become a life-threatening condition.
Itchy Or Dry Skin
People undergoing dialysis may have a complaint of itchy or dry skin because of waste accumulation in their bodies. It often happens between two dialysis sittings or if you eat something out of your recommended diet.
Moreover, it can also happen due to phosphate build-up in your body that is not removed efficiently during dialysis. Therefore your healthcare providers prescribe you a phosphate binder that helps in excreting it.
Itching in the legs can also occur due to restless legs syndrome.
Blood Clots
A side effect of hemodialysis is blood clots. Sometimes the access point can become clogged, or installing an access point can lead to the narrowing of blood vessels, which can lead to blood clots. It can also cause swelling of the upper half of the body. The condition needs to be treated soon.
To prevent blood clots, your healthcare providers may administer an anticlotting factor that can prevent them. If you get a blood clot during dialysis, your healthcare provider may stop it for some time.
You can check your access daily by checking the pulsing sensation in the graft or the fistula. It can help ensure that it is working properly.
Infection
With hemodialysis, there is always a risk for infection because of the graft or fistula infection or inflammation. Moreover, it can also become a source of bacteria entering your bloodstream directly.
If you have any symptoms of infection, you must visit and tell the healthcare provider soon as it can become a life-threatening condition.
If you have any symptoms of infection, your healthcare provider will prescribe you antibiotics to treat it. Sometimes, when the infection is severe, you may need to get intravenous antibiotic medications.
The Bottom Line
Dialysis is a life-saving procedure. You must follow its schedule as your healthcare provider advises it. To get an expert opinion, you can visit oladoc.com.
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