Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dialysis – A Good Kidney Function Substitute

Dialysis is an unwanted treatment. No one wants to have it as much as possible. However, it is invented to maintain the body’s health even if the kidneys are not doing its job anymore. With dialysis, many lives have been prolonged.

When a person needs dialysis

What is dialysis? People who have to undergo dialysis in a regular basis are seriously sick. Dialysis is an effective treatment for a kidney who fails to perform its functions. When a kidney fails, it is a serious thing. Many cause kidney failure, one of which is diabetes.

No one can value his health more than a person who gets sick. Kidney failures and dialysis treatment is one of the most excruciating life experiences. As much as possible, people do not want to come to the point of needing dialysis since it shall be a continuous process.

That means, it shall be a continuous expense. How these patients wish they can turn back time and be more watchful of maintaining their health.

What is dialysis?

Dialysis comes from the Greek word “dialusis”, meaning “dissolution”. Dia is “through” and loosening is “lysis”. Dialysis works the kidneys’ job to diffuse solutes and filter fluids. It removes excess water and wastes from the blood.

In dialysis, blood flows at one side of a semi-permeable membrane while a dialysate (dialysis fluid), flows at the opposite. The membrane is a thin layer of material containing various pores or holes. Smaller solutes pass through the membrane, but the membrane does not allow passage of larger substances like large proteins, red blood cells, etc.

Kidney functions

As any body organ, kidneys have highly significant function in maintaining our health. They help balance water and minerals inside the body. That is what dialysis is trying to duplicate. Kidneys likewise exit the byproducts of metabolism which cannot go out from the body through respiration and perspiration.

Though dialysis is not a perfect substitute for kidney functions, it can be a very good supportive measure until a kidney transplant is performed or if a transplant is not applicable for a patient.

Patients usually get tired after dialysis and lose the whole day after each session since they cannot do anything else but rest or sleep.

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