Kidney Failure: Choosing a Treatment thats Right for You
Your kidneys are essential organs that help to filter waste from
your body and form urine. Diabetics sometimes face kidney failure due
to prolonged wear and tear on the organs. When a Diabetic has kidney
failure, he or she has a number of treatment options, including a
kidney transplant or lifelong dialysis.
The Kidneys
The goal of all treatment is to help filter toxins from your body by
removing excess fluid, minerals, and other wastes. Kidneys also help to
keep the hormones regulated throughout your body so that your body can
function properly. When the kidneys fail, often, blood pressure will
rise, your body may swell as you retain excess fluid, and you may not
make enough red blood cells to stay healthy. Once the kidneys have
failed, you will need to decide on a course of treatment.
The three possible treatments you can choose from include: Hemodialysis (hee-moh-dahy-al-uh-sis), Peritoneal Dialysis (per-i-tn-ee-ahl dahy-al-uh-sis), and kidney transplantation.
Hemodialysis filters your blood through a machine in an effort to
rid your body of waste, excess salt and excess water. The machine
serves as an artificial kidney for the duration of time that you are
hooked up to it. The machine pulls your blood through tubes connecting
to your body (usually at the forearm) and into the dialyzer. The
machine then filters the waste and water from the blood and directs the
flow of blood back into your body
A major benefit of Hemodialysis is that it helps to regular your
blood pressure and keep the proper levels of vitamins and nutrients in
your body, including potassium, sodium, calcium, and bicarbonate.
Generally, the procedure is performed three times a week and can last
from three to five hours.
Hemodialysis
- Click here for detailed information about how Hemodialysis works.
filter waste, water, and other chemicals from your body. However,
peritoneal dialysis interfaces directly with the lining of your abdomen
in order to filter your blood. The lining is called the peritoneal
membrane and will serve as your artificial kidney when your other
kidneys fail.
In order for your abdomen to become your temporary artificial
kidney, the abdomen needs to be filled with a dialysis solution, which
is a mixture of minerals and sugar that is dissolved in water. The
solution is input into your abdomen by means of a flexible tube. Once
in your abdomen, the sugar will draw wastes, chemicals, and excess
water directly from the blood vessels in your peritoneal membrane and
into the dialysis solution.
The solution will stay in your abdomen for several hours before it
is drained through the tube. When the solution is drained, it will take
the wastes from your blood with it.
- Click here for more information about peritoneal dialysis.
from the body and replaced with another persons kidney. In most cases,
the donated kidney will work in the same way that you failed kidney
once worked, as long as the body accepts the new kidney.
When you receive a kidney transplant, a surgeon will connect the
new kidney to the artery and vein that will interface with your blood
stream and bladder. The old kidneys are generally left in place. In
some cases, the new kidney will start filtering blood and making urine
right away. In other cases, it can take weeks for the new kidney to
start functioning properly. If you receive any organ transplant, you
will have to take medications for the rest of your life in order to
ensure that your body continues to accept the new organ.
