Complications During Dialysis And Their Management! – Dr. Puneet Dhawan.
In people with kidney disease, hazardous levels of waste may buildup in the blood. This toxin-filled blood also increases the risk of heart stroke or cardiac attack in CKD patients. Amongst the usual complications of kidney disease, major ones are high blood pressure, heart stroke, complete renal failure, uremia, etc. “Complications During Dialysis And Their Management“.
End-stage renal disease is a permanent loss of kidney function that is usually treated with the help of dialysis and transplant. Hemodialysis is a surgical procedure done when the kidneys are no longer functional and cannot keep up with their most essential functions. But all together, dialysis causes unusual comorbidities.
Amongst the associated complications of hemodialysis, one is related to making the vascular access in patients. Through this point, blood is drained and made toxin-free in a machine called dialysis. Of chance, any infection grows, it reaches the blood and spread to the entire body. “Complications During Dialysis And Their Management”.
Other complications of dialysis may trigger because of imbalance in the fluids and electrolytes in the body. Dialysis is only an inexact science to do some of the functions of the kidneys; it cannot replace the healthy kidney function. Imbalance in the fluid and electrolyte can result in low and high blood pressure and go up to as severe as heart abnormality. If the speed of the blood filtration process is too high, it may not give the best results. Besides, even if dietary or fluid restrictions are not correctly followed, the homeostasis balance may get disturbed and cause dysfunctionality in the body.
Common complications that may appear at the time of dialysis are as follow:
Hypotension: It is a common problem a dialysis patient suffers from because of the speed of the procedure. Rapid fluids variations in the blood may cause blood pressure to drop invariably. The symptoms that can be witnessed along with low blood pressure include nausea, restlessness, abdominal discomfort, anxiety, dizziness, blurred vision, vomiting, etc. Sometimes a sudden drop in the blood pressure allows the clots to form in the blood, which may require surgery to remove and restore the access point. “Complications During Dialysis And Their Management”.
Management
Sticking to the fluid restrictions help dialysis machine to extract only a small amount of fluid, so any decrease in the blood pressure is compensated.
Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome: It is a neurological reaction of the body in response to dialysis. DDS may result in inflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory chemicals that shut down brain functioning because of swelling (also called cerebral edema). This is just a temporary complication and reversible when the body becomes used to the procedure.
The symptoms that may persist along with DDS include:
- Weakness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Muscle cramps
- Headache
- Changes in behavior or mental status
Management: Intravenous saline with diuretic injections helps to relieve swelling around the cerebral.
Electrolyte imbalance: Dialysis removes toxins, excess fluid, and electrolytes from the body because it cannot differentiate between what is good or harmful. This may not be a problem if your diet is proper, and the body gets compensated for the loss of electrolytes.
But if you are a diabetic patient and take a restricted diet along with angiotensin receptor blockers, even food may not fix your problem. Too little of potassium, sodium, and phosphorus can cause a lot of enigmas such as heart palpitation, muscle cramps, constipation, mental changes, seizures, loss of reflex, etc.
Management: Regularly monitoring blood composition will help to know the significant levels of electrolytes to lower their dietary consumption.
Infections: Infection is a common risk in people taking dialysis for their survival. The creation of an access to the body gives opportunities to the bacteria to enter the blood. The infection may not be limited to the kidneys but anywhere along the abdomen or liver or heart. “Complications During Dialysis And Their Management”.
Management: Antibiotics are usually given to treat these types of infections. Along with this, one should adopt sanitary practices to prevent the risk of blood infections.
Fluid overload: Fluid overload means the excess of fluid in the body. When the kidneys are not functional, excessive fluid may not be removed, and so dialysis is needed. If the dialysis machine is not used correctly, excess fluid may still be there.
Symptoms of excess fluid may include:
- Weight gain
- Headache
- Bloating
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling
- High blood pressure
Management: By restricting fluid intake during kidney disease, and at the time of dialysis, you can avoid the risk of hypervolemia.
Ayurvedic treatment: An alternative approach to dialysis
By now, you will be aware of the fact that dialysis is not the ultimate way to end kidney related problems. Instead, it protrudes the complications involved in the recovery process. You can have your blood filtered with the assistance of dialysis and still suffer from life-threatening issues. This is why at Karma Ayurveda, we want patients to trust what we have blessed with, and that is Ayurveda. Ayurveda is an ancient science far better than any other methodology involved in the treatment of kidney-related conditions.
Once the treatment is initiated, you notice a substantial change in your energy as you move to a whole new being. The organs receive therapeutical experience in response to ayurvedic medications. Ayurveda is for one and all!
If you have any queries related to this treatment, do meet us at Karma Ayurveda. “Complications During Dialysis And Their Management”.