The two main kidney dialysis options are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. These dialysis processes are used to remove impurities and excess water from the blood in different ways which are briefly described in the below paragraphs.
Types of kidney disease
There are two kinds of kidney disease, acute kidney disease and chronic kidney disease. Kidney diseases which form immediately or which forms just within weeks or days can be treated or cured completely. Such kind of kidney which causes within short time disease is called acute kidney injury.
Kidney diseases formed from diabetics and high blood pressure or which develop over a period of months or years are permanent and called chronic kidney disease, Such kind of kidney diseases cannot be cured completely. But will be able to control the disease to a good extent.
Things to know before dialysis
Precautionary measures like controlled balanced diet, take special medicines as per doctor’s prescription, control diabetes and maintain blood pressure will be helpful for controlling the intensity of the disease. And will also reduce the chances of disease reaching the final stages. If the disease has reached the critical stage, the only treatment to support his life is dialysis or kidney transplantation. And once on dialysis always on dialysis, there no way to stop it unless you get another kidney fixed. It a fact for those who are doing dialysis on daily basis.
- Also read What causes kidney disease?
When the kidney fails to perform well, the blood will get accumulated with excess water content, urea, creatine, potassium and other acids. In such a situation kidney dialysis options are used to remove these excess components from the blood. Dialysis can also control high blood pressure and breathing issues which are an after effect of kidney failure.
Kidney dialysis options – Hemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis
1. Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis can be done at the hospital using a dialysis machine. With this dialysis procedure, the blood is pumped out from any of the body veins and allow the blood to pass through a dialyzer. This dialyzer removes and filters the excess water and all other elements like urea, creatine, potassium, and acids from the blood. In turn, purifies the blood from excess impurities.
In the same time, the dialysis machine dissolves the required electrolytes and minerals into the blood. After the processing, the pureblood is pumped into the body. This procedure requires about 4 hours to complete. And a kidney failed patients should do this 3 or 4 times a week as per the direction of a physician.
Before beginning the hemodialysis treatment, the need to create a site through which the blood can flow in and out of your body while performing the dialysis sessions. This site is called dialysis access.
2. Peritoneal dialysis
One could start doing peritoneal dialysis from the hospital and continue it from their homes. For doing peritoneal dialysis a minor surgery is performed for fixing a tube to the stomach. Through this tube, dialysis fluid is pumped in and out of the stomach. The dialysis fluid pulls out extra minerals and fluids from the bloodstream. After 4 hours these wastes are drained out of the stomach along with the dialysis fluid.
Peritoneal dialysis uses a natural filter inside your stomach, it’s the stomach lining, called the peritoneal membrane. This membrane removes wastes and extra fluid from your body. It also restores certain minerals in the blood (electrolytes) to the normal balance.
The patient should do this process 3 or 4 times a day depending on the intensity of the disease. Except for the time of pumping and draining the dialysis fluid from the patient’s stomach he is free to do his daily routine tasks. This is the main advantage of this method.
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