It’s summertime once again and the time for outings, picnics, and beaches is at hand. If you would tune in to the weather report each day, temperatures averages at around 35 degrees Celsius. Good for people who badly needs sunshine, or a tan maybe. But BAD for us suffering from kidney failure. Why?…
It is due to a simple reason: WE can’t drink too much WATER to replenish the body fluids lost through perspiration during hot seasons. A kidney failure patient must always watch their fluid intake because their ailing kidneys can’t efficiently excrete excess water through the process of urination and, or perspiration. If you drink too much and your kidneys can’t get rid of your excess fluid, the result would be fluid overload, or edema. Edema is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin, or in one or more cavities of the body. You would notice in people with kidney problems that their ankles seems to be swelling. This is edema and it is caused by their malfunctioning kidneys. Worse case scenario is that too much excess water in the body would lead to Pulmonary Edema and Congestive Heart Failure.
I know it’s a bit harrowing to know kidney failure’s side effects, but hey, it’s part of the life of us patients. I for one has already accepted that aspect of my life and learned to cope with them so that I might possibly live normally, if not comfortably.
Article by Julius
Julius is a blogger and a freelance graphics artist undergoing dialysis treatment since 2003. An enthusiastic person by nature, he loves to write, blog, cook, read books, tinker around, listen to rock music, and do research.
