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 time. Being a 26 year-old, it’s quite hard to accept at first that I am already suffering from chronic ailments and would probably face medication and treatment for the rest of my life. But there it was, already out in the open.

The kidneys play a key role in keeping a person’s blood pressure in a healthy range, and blood pressure, in turn, can affect the health of the kidneys. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can damage the kidneys and lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD).

– Source NIDDK/NKUDIC

This might seem both alarming and outrageous, but it’s true, and it’s a fact. And I just don’t say it from research or reading journals about it, but I’m saying it from experience. Had I known myself to be inflicted with hypertension, I would have done steps to prevent it from helping destroy my kidneys. My doctor said that besides CGN or Chronic Glomerulonephritis, hypertension became one of the contributing factors that lead to kidney failure. But I was young then, and thought myself impervious to such diseases and conditions. Well, I was wrong, and paid dearly for it.

I am still suffering from hypertension up to this day simply because it’s closely associated with kidney failure. Although I am a lot wiser now than before and medications help me maintain my blood pressure at acceptable levels, I still make it a point to implement ways to keep my hypertension at bay.

• I avoid salty and sodium-rich foods as often as I can. Salt makes you more thirsty and if you drink too much water, you might experience fluid overload that will increase your blood pressure.

• I try to stay cool and avoid staying under the sun too much for the same reason that this would make you want to drink more.

• Avoid fatty and deep fried foods, as well as those that are high in cholesterol. Not only will it trigger your blood pressure to rise significantly but will also put you at risk with stroke and heart attack.

• Consult with your doctor on a regular basis and always take your medications for hypertension. Skipping them would desensitize your body to the drug and would cause dangerous spikes in your blood pressure.

It’s hard enough coping with kidney failure and dialysis alone, and even harder to manage different complications that comes along with it. But with sensible management, eager determination, and abundant amount of faith, things could go as normal as it can be for patients like me.

Be wise. Well-informed is well-prepared.

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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 foods and is best for you.

Your individual meal plan will be based on your age, your weight, foods you like, your dialysis treatment and other medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. It will be tailored to your needs but may not meet the specific needs of other patients. Most people with kidney disease must modify their intake of certain nutrients such as protein, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and fluid. Following the meal pattern suggested by your renal dietitian will help you feel your best.

The following are some things a dialysis patient needs to know about:

• Protein is used to build and repair tissue. Several of the foods you eat contains protein. The best sources are meat, poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.), seafood, dairy products, and eggs. The best source, also called High Quality Protein, comes from red meat like beef, though it produces more excess waste in the body than other sources. Your renal dietitian might limit you from taking these.

• Potassium regulates nerve and muscle function. Since your heart is made mostly of muscle, this mineral plays a vital role in the regulation of heartbeat. Excess potassium in the body is removed by the kidneys. For people with malfunctioning kidneys, dialysis performs this job. But if you accumulate too much potassium in between treatments, it might cause heartbeat irregularities. Worse, your heart might suddenly stop if potassium is left uncontrolled. Almost all foods contain some potassium. Some foods that are very high include bananas, avocados, oranges, tomatoes, winter squash, dried fruits, milk and nuts. How often these foods can be eaten, and/or their portion size may need to be limited.

• Calcium and Phosphorus work together in the body. They are balanced to keep your bones strong and healthy. There’s an imbalance of these minerals in kidney failure but it can be restored with medications and a moderate level of phosphorus in your diet. Since calcium and phosphorus are found in many of the same foods, it is difficult to get enough calcium without getting too much phosphorus. Almost all foods have some phosphorus, but the highest levels are found in dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese), eggs, meats, dried beans and nuts. You may be asked to take a calcium supplement and a phosphorus “binder”. It is advisable to ask your doctor about it.

• Sodium helps regulate the fluid balance in your body. High-sodium foods may upset this balance in kidney disease. Some foods that have the highest amounts of sodium are cured, processed, and smoked meats and cheeses (ham, bacon, sausage, cold cuts, cheese and snack foods like potato chips, pretzels, corn chips, salted nuts and pickles). Some foods that do not taste salty have a lot of sodium. Examples are soups, ketchup, mustard, relishes, some seasonings, steak sauces, meat tenderizers, canned or packaged foods and restaurant foods, When you prepare foods from scratch, you can control the amount of sodium used, like salt, for instance. Also, avoid using salt substitutes because they’re most likely to be high in potassium, and it’s more harmful to you than sodium.

These are meant to serve as a guide and a patient is still advised to consult with his/her doctor and renal dietitian for individual meal plans. Eating wisely and sensible food choices are vital for a kidney failre patient to stay healthy while undergoing dialysis treatment.

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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 a challenge for my tolerance. Like I said before, too much fluid intake would lead to inconvenient consequences for patients. Although I really don’t blame those who forget their drinking discipline, for I myself tends to neglect them every once in a while. But let me reiterate once again the importance of a patient’s self-discipline when it comes to fluid intake: If you want to experience minimal inconvenience during dialysis treatment, you have to be wise on your eating and drinking habits.

Another factor that brings inconvenience up til now is my recurrent flu-like symptoms. In this post, I have described why dialysis patients are susceptible to various diseases, and the importance of prevention. In my case, I have been experiencing recurrent flu-like symptoms these past few days. If I hadn’t known better, I might think I am going down with Flu, or much worse. But with my past experiences, along with my doctor’s recent opinion, mine is but a simple case of Allergic Rhinitis, an allergic reaction to pollen, dander, and in my case, dust. I said simple simply because it’s more tolerable and less alarming compared to the more serious types, like the current Swine Flu Virus.

But in spite of this knowledge, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to continue to be vigilant and careful than ever before. I have temporarily isolated myself from other household members, for everybody’s sake and as a precaution as well. I’m also thinking of going again to my doctor if ever these flu-like symptoms escalate.

All in all, my recent treatment was just the usual routine, and no untoward incident really happened. Except for the fact that it went a bit harder than usual because of my bigger weight gain, which, I pointed out earlier, was my own fault, it’s still usual, on a dialysis patient’s perspective, at least.

My fight against kidney failure and dialysis goes on. Just as life goes on for the people around me, so must mine go on too. With considerable amount of undurance, coping, and determination to overcome all obstacles, I’m still able to live as normal as I possibly can.

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3. Food Considerations For Dialysis Patients

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 help of artificial kidney (dialysis), you cannot get rid of all the wastes and fluids that build up in your body from what you eat and drink. When your kidneys were healthy, they worked around the clock to remove wastes from your blood. Now that your kidneys have stopped working, Dialysis removes wastes from your blood, but between sessions, wastes can build up and make you sick. You can reduce the amount of wastes by watching waht you eat and drink.

If you’re currently undergoing dialysis treatment and is concerned about diet and nutrition, I strongly recommend consulting with your Nephrologist and Renal Dietitian. A Nephrologist is a doctor that especiallizes on kidney diseases and a Renal Dietitian is a dietitian with special training in care for kidney health. They are the people that could help you with your diet concerns and it is imperative that you consult with them first before implementing a meal plan.

This is for the simple reason that every patient has a unique dietary need that should be considered first before proposing an appropriate meal plan. It would also depend on your kidney’s remaining functions. A patient in the earlier stages of kidney failure would have a more restricted diet compared to those who are on the latter stages. This is because they’re already going through dialysis and the machines helps in eliminating excess waste. In my case, I was given a 50-gram protein/ day diet plan. Protein, being an essential mineral that your body needs and produces the most waste as well, will be your doctor’s primary consideration. Along with other minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, this is where your diet would revolve.

With sensible food choices and smart eating habits, dialysis patients are more likely to stay healthy throughout their treatment. It also minimizes the need for hospitalization, if not totally eliminate it. Together with exercise, a patient has the means to keep kidney failure at bay. One only needs sensibility, discipline, and the determination to abide by the laws that govern their wellness.

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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 of your body that has a space in it, such as your ankles, your hands and extremities. But these are only minor cases of edema. Worse, it could develop on your lungs, which is called Pulmonary Edema, or to your heart, which might lead to Congestive Heart Failure if goes unchecked.

Here are some ways for dialysis patients to help beat the heat this summer:

• Try to stay in the shade. Exposure to the sun only causes perspiration and the urge to drink water.
• If really thirsty and you’re considering your fluid intake, try sucking on an ice cube instead of drinking to alleviate your thirst.
• Again, try sucking on a lemon or lime in place of a glass of water to quench your thirst.
• Brush your teeth often. It doesn’t only cleans your teeth, but also freshens your mouth and eliminates the urge to drink.
• If you really have to drink, try taking it in sips rather than gulping the whole glass down.

These things might be a tall order for some, but for us dialysis patients, it’s something we need to abide as often as we can just to avoid fluid overload. I also may sound a bt exaggerated, but once you experienced muscle cramps at the end of a dialysis session due to excess fluid intake, you’ll know what I mean.

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