Understanding dialysis and its elimination with Ayurveda

Introduction

Our kidneys work 24/7 to keep the body waste-free. It filters our blood by removing wastes and excess fluids from our body. After filtration, the kidney sends the waste to the bladder, and it gets eliminated through urine. The stage at which kidneys stop performing its overall functions is known as the stage of kidney failure. Study says that our kidney performs only 10 to 15 % of their function after reaching this stage.

At this stage, many patients require Dialysis that has many risk factors associated with it. Many reasons affect our kidneys and bring them to the verge of Dialysis. Reasons that affect your kidneys are:

Acute and chronic disease
Severe dehydration
Kidney trauma

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In this blog, we will be reading about the ways that can help a person to avoid Dialysis by getting Ayurvedic kidney treatment.

What is Dialysis?

Dialysis is an artificial process that helps in the purification of the blood in the same manner a kidney performs purification. The purification process takes place outside the human body with the help of machines. This process of Dialysis keeps your fluids and electrolytes in balance when your kidneys are not able to perform their activities. It works on the principles of diffusion of solutes and ultra-filtration of fluid across a semipermeable membrane. Today, millions of people are undergoing Dialysis without knowing about the complications related to it. The average life expectancy rate after Dialysis is 4 to 5 years. Patients living with kidney failure have to undergo Dialysis twice or thrice a week.

What is the need for Dialysis?

The kidney filters extra fluids, waste products, and other impurities from the blood and sends them to the bladder for the further process. They help in controlling the blood pressure and level of sugar in the blood. They also control the level of certain harmful chemicals like sodium and potassium in the blood that can affect our body negatively. When our kidneys become incapable of performing its function, there arrives the need for Dialysis. If the person does not undergo harmful dialysis chemicals like salts, and many other waste products get accumulated in our body. However, Dialysis is not a cure for kidney disease or kidney failure, and it just functions like a kidney artificially.

Dialysis is needed when the functioning of our kidneys falls to 15% or less. Dialysis can also be done in case of severe symptoms like shortness of breath, muscle cramps, fatigue. These symptoms are the result of kidney disease itself.

It is essential to make yourself prior ready for Dialysis. Also, knowing more about types of Dialysis will be helpful to you as it will give you more options to choose from.

Types of Dialysis

There are three types of Dialysis. Every kind of Dialysis comes with its significance and complications.

Haemodialysis – This Dialysis is the most common type of Dialysis. In this process, the artificial kidney (hemodialyzer) is used to filter the blood and remove extra fluids. This process of blood purification takes place outside the body, and the filtered blood gets returned to the body with the help of a dialysis machine. This treatment usually lasts three to five hours and is performed thrice a week. The length of this treatment depends on your body size, amount of waste, and current state of your body.
Peritoneal Dialysis – It involves surgery to implant a peritoneal dialysis catheter into the abdomen of the patient. The catheter is a thin tube made of plastic material which is used in surgeries. It helps to filter your blood through the peritoneum (membrane in your abdomen). During Dialysis, a special fluid called dialysate flows into the membrane in your abdomen. The fluid absorbs liquid. Once fluid absorbs all the waste material from the bloodstream, then it’s drained from the abdomen. This type of Dialysis takes a few hours and needs to be repeated four to six times per day.
Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) – This type of treatment is used for people with acute kidney failure. In this process, a machine is used that passes the blood through the tube. Artificial filter or a machine filters blood outside the body, and then the blood is returned to the body along with replacement fluid. This process has to be performed daily. It takes 12-14 hours a day. CRRT is applied for patients with end-stage kidney patients. Also, for the people who suffer from severe complications, such as multiple organ failure.

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Complications in Dialysis

There are several complications in Dialysis that can harm other parts of the body as well. Some of the difficulties include:

Low blood pressure
Deficiency in red blood cells
Muscle cramping
Itching in some parts of the body.
High blood potassium level
Bloodstream infection
Irregular heartbeat
Infections in or around the catheter
Abdominal muscle weakening
Bleeding
Weakness in bones

People who undergo long-term dialysis treatment are also at high risk of other serious medical issues. Medical issues like amyloidosis (causes stiffness, joint pain, and swelling in the body) and depression are the most dangerous complications for the Dialysis. Dialysis is a very time consuming and expensive process.

What should be your diet during Dialysis?

Almost every kidney patient has been asked to make proper changes in his/her diet or to eat healthy food. This is because poor eating can put more pressure on the damaged kidneys and can put the patient in danger of getting kidney failure. By focusing on what you are eating, you can reduce the overall pressure on your kidneys. The diet during Dialysis includes food with low sodium, phosphorous, and protein. Limiting fluids also make your diet a renal friendly diet. There is certainly another dialysis diet that asks for limiting the intake of calcium and potassium.

Here are some food items, which kidney patients should add in his/her diet to avoid Dialysis:

Fruits- Some fruits can do wonders for a kidney patient. These fruits include apples, cranberries, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, and red grapes are said to be some of the ideal fruits for kidney patients.
Vegetables- It is suitable for a kidney patient to add a lot of vegetables to the diet. Vegetables like red bell peppers, garlic, cabbage, cauliflower, and onions are very effective for the improvement of the overall health of kidney patients.
Besides these egg whites, fish and olive oil can also be added to the diet of a kidney patient.

Ayurveda and Dialysis

It’s very simple to avoid Dialysis in kidney failure by using Ayurveda. Kidney treatment in Ayurveda is simple, pure, and free from all kinds of side-effects. Ayurveda works with natural herbs, patient diet, and yoga to cure any chronic disease. Kidney treatment in Ayurveda is based on three principles:

Treat damaged kidney
Treat body tissues
Treating the other cause

Ayurvedic medicines have a positive impact on all the stages of kidney disease. In the starting stage of Ayurvedic medicines, you can’t avoid Dialysis. First, start your treatment with any Ayurvedic health care foundation. After a few months of joining, you can avoid Dialysis. Ayurvedic kidney disease treatment is an ideal solution not because it helps you to avoid Dialysis but also because it cures the damaged kidneys permanently. It is the effectiveness of ayurvedic medicines that allows you to withstand kidney problems.

Ready to explore Ayurvedic treatment to avoid dialysis? Consult with our experts at Karma Ayurveda. Get Started Today.

Disclaimer:- The purpose of the content on this page is not to substitute any professional medical advice but to only provide information to the reader. If the reader is a kidney patient, we recommend not making any diet or routine changes without consulting his/her doctor or dietitian. For appointments, call at our 24×7 helpline: +91-9821929797 or visit www.karmaayurvedahospital.com.