Side effects of hemodialysis
Fatigue Fatigue, where you feel tired and exhausted all the time, is a common side effect in people who use either form of dialysis on a long-term basis. Fatigue is thought to be caused by a combination of the: loss of normal kidney function effects dialysis can have on the body dietary restrictions associated with […]
What’s CRRT?
How do you explain continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) to your patients? Continuous renal replacement therapy is a special type of dialysis that we do for unstable patients in the ICU whose bodies cannot tolerate regular dialysis. It is a very different type of dialysis from the routine type that patients may be familiar with, […]
Dialysis
Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly. It often involves diverting blood to a machine to be cleaned. Normally, the kidneys filter the blood, removing harmful waste products and excess fluid and turning these into urine to be passed out of the body. Why do I need dialysis? […]
What’s Hemodialysis?
It’s a treatment that takes over your kidney functions if those organs stop doing their job. There are two types of dialysis: Hemodialysis: Your blood is put through a filter outside your body, cleaned, and then returned to you. This is done either at a dialysis facility or at home. Peritoneal dialysis: Your blood is […]
Five Tips for Kidney Patients to Treat the Common Cold and Flu
Each year millions of Canadians suffer from the common cold and winter flu; individuals living with kidney disease are no exception. Prevention is the best medicine. Having an annual flu shot, and washing your hands frequently are the best lines of defense. It is also recommended that all people with chronic kidney disease have the […]
High Blood Pressure and Chronic Kidney Disease
Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. Arteries carry blood from your heart to other parts of your body. Blood pressure normally rises and falls throughout the day, but it can damage your heart and cause health problems if it stays high for a long time. Hypertension, also […]
Obesity and Kidney Disease
Being overweight may increase the risk of developing a number of health issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and, many more. By 2025, obesity will affect 18% of men and 21% of women worldwide. In some nations, obesity is already present in more than one-third of the adult population and contributes significantly to overall poor health and high annual medical […]
How Can You Tell if You Have a Kidney Infection?
Kidney infection or pyelonephritis is a serious medical condition in which there is an infection of one or both the kidneys. If you have a kidney infection you may experience the following symptoms: Pain is generally felt in the sides of the trunk or anywhere between the middle or upper back. The pain is mostly felt under the ribs and depending […]
Is Zinc a Friend or Foe to Kidney Stones?
The nutrient zinc can be both helpful and harmful when it comes to kidney stones, a new study finds. There have been two conflicting theories about the link between zinc and kidney stones. One suggests zinc stops the growth of the calcium oxalate crystals that make up the stones. The other suggests zinc changes the crystals’ surfaces, which encourages […]
What is hemoperfusion?
Hemoperfusion is used to complement existing blood purification technologies, such as hemodialysis and/or continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRT), in the management of drug or chemical toxicities, and hepatic encephalopathy. Hemoperfusion may be used simultaneously with hemodialysis, or CRRT, to take advantage of the clinical benefits of each of these therapies. The clinical indications stated above […]
