If your kidneys no longer work, or function at a lowered capacity, you might need home hemodialysis, often simply called dialysis. This treatment helps your body remove waste and fluid from your blood. Without dialysis, your kidneys will continue to fail, toxins in your blood won’t be removed, and your health will deteriorate. When you start dialysis treatment, a special diet should be followed for the best health outcomes. Doing so can remove unnecessary stress from your kidneys, make dialysis more effective, and improve your comfort and quality of life. How Diet Impacts the Results of HemodialysisDialysis can remove most of the toxins your kidneys would remove from your body’s blood, but it’s not a completely perfect system. Therefore, by altering your diet to control how much of particular nutrients and minerals you consume, you can ensure your dialysis treatment is as effective as it can be. However, if a dialysis-focused diet isn’t followed, your health can deteriorate, as the treatment may be unable to remove the necessary toxins from your blood. Additionally, a poor diet while on dialysis can lead to heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for people on dialysis. The Role Nutrients Play in a Hemodialysis DietOne of the main jobs your kidneys perform is delivering nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to organs throughout your body through your bloodstream. But when you are undergoing hemodialysis, your kidneys aren’t capable of filtering out the excess, so following a careful diet is more important. Because of the way various minerals and nutrients interact within your body, following a hemodialysis diet can help counteract some of the potential side effects that each nutrient can produce. ProteinMost dialysis patients will need to increase their protein intake. This is because dialysis often removes proteins along with blood during the treatment process. As a result, your body may not have enough protein, and when the body doesn’t have enough protein, it will begin consuming protein from your muscles at the expense of your body. A lack of protein can be highly destructive and lead to more health problems if you’re undergoing dialysis, so it’s important to maintain an appropriate protein intake PhosphorusWhen undergoing dialysis, your phosphorus intake needs to be closely monitored. Phosphorus binds with calcium, which is crucial to bone development and health; because of this binding, excess phosphorus can simultaneously have a weakening effect on your bones and a hardening effect on soft tissues like muscles and blood vessels. Foods that are high in protein are often also high in phosphorus, so finding a diet that works for you is a balancing act, but is more than achievable with the help of a dialysis dietician. CalciumDialysis patients typically need to consume more calcium. Calcium’s impact on bone development is crucial for offsetting the impacts of phosphorus, which can have deleterious effects on your bones. PotassiumDialysis is incredibly effective at removing waste from your body, but even so, it has its limits. Dialysis can only remove so much potassium, and therefore your potassium intake must be limited. Dialysis patients who may have been following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet to lower their blood pressure may need to alter their diet, because despite DASH being low in sodium, it typically contains a significant amount of potassium. SodiumReducing sodium consumption is one of the first dietary changes we recommend to patients who are at risk of Chronic Kidney Disease. When you’re undergoing hemodialysis, you similarly need to limit how many salty foods you eat. Dialysis can only remove so much sodium, and without your kidney’s natural regulation, high sodium levels can lead to high blood pressure and more medical complications. CarbsCarbs are particularly important for hemodialysis patients because many are rich in fiber. Fiber is important for the heart, the circulatory system, and preventing constipation. It also helps lower cholesterol, which can prevent the need for additional medications. Lowered cholesterol can also reduce the risk of heart disease, which is a common illness among dialysis patients. FluidsWhile healthy kidneys thrive on receiving plenty of fluids in order to keep your blood and body in ship shape, it’s a different story for individuals who rely on dialysis. Now, dialysis does remove your body’s extra fluids, but it still isn’t the same as healthy kidneys, which work day and night to process waste, whereas dialysis is a process that you undergo far less frequently. Therefore, it’s important that you limit your fluid intake each day. Your dietician will help you determine an amount you can drink without risking a rise in blood pressure, damage to your heart, or edema (swelling in your face, ankles, feet, and wrists). The Benefits of Following a Hemodialysis DietThere’s no denying that hemodialysis is an intense treatment method, but by following a hemodialysis diet, your treatment can be as effective as possible and lead to huge benefits, including factors such as:
At Milwaukee Nephrologists, that’s our goal: to improve your quality of life. For four decades, we’ve been providing state-of-the-art care and pursuing innovative programs in home hemodialysis. To get in touch with a team of highly-skilled nephrologists in Southeastern Wisconsin, contact us today.
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Is water good for your kidneys? It’s a common question with a simple answer: yes, water is good for your kidneys. There are a few exceptions to that rule, but generally speaking, water is not only beneficial to your kidneys, but vital to its function. Why Your Kidneys Need WaterYour kidneys need water because your body needs water. Imagine that your body is a city: water acts like a vehicle bringing minerals and nutrients to all the factories and services (aka: organs), and expelling waste. Just as water is necessary to move the good stuff around your body, it’s also necessary to haul the bad stuff away. Your kidneys remove toxins from your body with water, and also use water to deliver hormones throughout your body. Water is crucial for your body’s health in general, and water is good for your kidneys too. If you’re not adequately hydrated, you leave your kidneys and entire body vulnerable to many risks. Risks of Dehydration
How Much Water Should You Drink?Clearly water is critical for your kidneys and your body on the whole. You want to take care of it, but how much water should you be drinking? Well, it depends. Historically, eight cups of water a day has been the standard recommendation. While eight cups a day isn’t a bad goal, it’s definitely not a perfect measure for everyone, and it falls quite short of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s findings. The Academies found that a person’s total water intake—water consumed by drinking, as well as by consuming foods such as melons and vegetables—should be around 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women. Fluids can also be obtained through a variety of means; water isn’t the only option. Water can be supplemented with the following:
What if You're on Dialysis?For most people, drinking quite a bit of water is ideal. However, if you are on dialysis, your water intake actually needs to be limited. Dialysis is highly effective, but it simply isn’t the same as the 24/7 function of healthy kidneys, and consuming too much fluid while on dialysis can lead to edema—swelling that typically occurs in the face, wrists, ankles, and feet. People with kidney failure should always consult with their nephrologist to maintain an optimal level of hydration. Urine is a Good Indicator of how Hydrated You AreFortunately, you often don’t need a professional to tell you if you’re getting enough fluids each day—your urine can tell you that. Urine that’s a very faint yellow or clear color is a strong indicator that you’re giving your kidneys the support they need, whereas urine that’s a darker yellow, you need to drink more water. It’s normal for the color of your urine to change slightly from day to day, but monitor it to ensure it’s staying relatively the same and that you’re staying fully hydrated. Water is Part of a Kidney-Friendly Diet and LifestyleFollowing a kidney-friendly diet and staying hydrated can work wonders, helping your kidneys to perform better and longer, even if you have kidney disease. Milwaukee Nephrologists is dedicated to helping our patients gain a greater understanding of kidney disease, and what their options are for avoiding or treating it.
Our board-certified specialists make Milwaukee Nephrologists your go-to experts on all-things kidneys. Whether you have been treating renal disease for years or if you or a loved one are at risk of kidney disease, Milwaukee Nephrologists can help. To schedule an appointment, contact us today for an examination, or learn more about kidney health on our blog. |