Hypertension or High Blood Pressure, as it is more commonly known, is one of the silent killers that plagues the general population. It owes its lethal efficiency to the fact that it goes on undetected for months, and even for years, up until a point where significant damage has already been done. Such as it was in my case, where I neglected and took it for granted, in spite of being aware of its past devastation on [...]

Dialysis patients are required to take monthly laboratory tests. This is to ensure proper monitoring of our body’s blood and chemistry levels. These tests are also used by doctors as reference on how patient’s respond to dialysis, if they are eating right, their responsiveness to EPO shots via their hemoglobin levels, and so on. I have been through this routine tests all my dialysis years and still going through with it. My lab test schedule [...]

Most of us already know that our kidneys filter the waste from the food we eat. But few are aware that waste filtration is only one of the numerous jobs our kidneys perform in our body. It also produces hormones that regulates blood pressure, among other things. But do you know that the kidneys are also responsible for our body’s production of Red Blood Cells? Yes, they are, and is described further in this piece [...]

Hypertension or high blood pressure runs in our family. Several of my relatives either died of a heart attack or stroke caused by hypertension that’s been left untreated. I had hypertension as early as my high school days, although I am completely unaware of it. It was just brought up to my attention six years ago, when I was first diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. It was both shocking and unbelievable for me at that [...]

I recently wrote an article on why dialysis patients must be sensible on their eating habits, and the equal importance of consulting with your Nephrologist and Renal Dietitian before starting a diet plan. This time, I’m writing about the basic minerals found in food that concerns a dialysis patient, like Protein, Potassium, Phosphorus, Sodium, etc. You can work closely with your renal dietitian to decide on the meal plan that includes some of your favorite [...]

Diet and nutrition are two important things a dialysis patient must consider. Food gives you energy and helps your body repair itself Your blood picks up nutrients from your food and carries them to all your body cells. These cells take nutrients from your blood and put waste products back into the bloodstream. Good nutrition is the key to good health for everyone. It is especailly important for people with kidney disease. Even with the [...]

How is dialysis done? Dialysis is done by using a special fluid called dialysate. Dialysate, a mixture of pure water and chemicals, is carefully controlled to pull wastes out of your blood without removing substances your body needs. A semipermeable membrane keeps the blood apart from the dialysate. This membrane lets the wastes and fluid in your blood flow through into the dialysate. Your blood cells and larger molecules, like protein that you need, cannot [...]

What will happen if I refuse pre-ESRD care? Refusing pre-ESRD care may result in accelleration of kidney damage and earlier development of or worsening of complications of CKD, such as anemia, loss of appetite and fatigue. In short, progression to ESRD or early death may become inevitable. Cardiovascular complications such as heart enlargement and heart failure may also set in earlier. Hence, refusal may result in more frequent hospitalizations, bigger expenses, emotional trauma, and poor [...]