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 [...]

It has been quite a rough week for me in terms of health and nutrition. I have been eating and drinking liberally these past few days, for the simple reason that I just felt I had to satisfy my urge to do so, and paid quite rather painfully when my treatment session came. I’m just thankful enough that my neglect on fluid intake didn’t lead to cramps, though the days before the treatment were quite [...]

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 [...]

Summer is one of the seasons we dialysis patients dread. It’s because the intense heat that this season brings makes us want to drink more water to quench our thirst. This is not possible for us patients because we cannot get rid of the excess water we take due to our malfunctioning kidneys. If we weren’t able to discipline our fluid intake, this might lead to fluid overload or edema. Water would accumulate on parts [...]