Dialysis treatment

For most kidney failure patients, there comes a point where the patient has to undergo through a treatment of dialysis which will be to keep their body fluids balanced and remove waste products and toxins from their body as the kidneys should.

Dialysis is very helpful to people living with kidney failure, because it boosts the kidneys by draining out excess salt, sugar and toxins, as well as allowing the body to receive in more clean water and cleanse the system. As much as dialysis sounds like a life saver, it has its own risk factors for people living with other chronic diseases as well as risky for the elderly people.


What are the risk factors of dialysis for the elderly?

Frailty is one of the disadvantages of elderly people and having to go through the treatment of dialysis; making elderly patients on PD to have a significantly risk of mortality as compared to the non-elderly patients. 

Though, elderly patients do have the right to refuse going through this treatment. This risk of increased complications for the elderly has never been quantified by a meta-analysis. Older adults are also frequently malnourished with a very low albumin and phosphorus level which also contributes to this increased risk.


High blood pressure

With HBP (High blood pressure) being a common sickness to the elderly and as well as the leading cause CKD(Chronic Kidney disease), already this combination of two sicknesses has a huge red flag on it. HBP makes it not so easy for patients on dialysis because the elevated blood pressure is too high for the whole process of dialysis. By that I mean; the removing of toxins and just doing what the kidneys were designed to do and that is to cleanse the body and balance the fluids. 

But, there is always a plan to simplify things for CKD patients. This can be done by seeing a doctor who can compile a treatment plan for these particular patients.                                                                                                    

Treatment plan goals  for patients with High blood pressure on Dialysis


The goals of the treatments plan will be:

  1. To lower chances of getting heart diseases- Which is a huge risk for patients on dialysis living with high blood pressure
  2. To lower the blood pressure
  3. To make the dialysis treatment more effective
All this can only be possible if the patient is willing to make life-style changes and including the diet plan.


Conclusion
Dialysis is likely to not be so easy on the elderly. This does not make the dialysis not recommended for older people, because at the end of the day it gets the job done even if the job is half done, And we don't want that. Besides, peoples bodies react differently and what's more fair is that for those who have more risk factors there is a treatment plan specially made for them by the doctors consulted.