A device or technique that has the ability to eliminate impurities from the blood is considered to be one of the life-saving wonders of contemporary medicine. One of these happens to be dialysis Quality which is meant to provide an artificial replacement for any kidney in case it ceases to function properly. In fact, patients whose kidneys are not functioning correctly either permanently or temporarily will need to undergo dialysis. However, in spite of being a useful treatment, dialysis can likewise lead to a number of issues in the long run. Here, we have talked about the top 3 drawbacks of undergoing dialysis.
- First Use Syndrome
In some cases, our body might not react properly while using a hemodiafiltration machine. Although rare, First Use Syndrome happens to be a condition that might arise because of implementing an artificial kidney. Amongst the different symptoms of this ailment, shortness of breath, chest as well as back discomfort, sneezing, wheezing, or even sudden demise deserve special mention. In case you too are combating these types of conditions following you first dialysis, you must not hesitate to inform the physician since First Use Syndrome might even result in death.
- Bleeding
As per Dr. David Fowler, the chief medical examiner of Maryland, over 24 dialysis sufferers met their death while bleeding profusely during the period between 2000 and 2007. Interestingly, almost all these demises occurred when the patients were in their houses alone and started bleeding. The reason this has been properly explained by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office in the state of Maryland. Patients that are suffering from kidney failure need their blood to be cleaned as many as 3 times every week in order to continue living. Nevertheless, this continual process of drawing and returning the blood to one’s body can make the patient extremely feeble and he often succumbs to death over time.
- Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis
MRI (also known as magnetic resonance imaging) happens to be a device for taking images similar to that of an x-ray. However, MRI is a better technique since it allows us to see things which cannot be seen by ordinary x-rays. On some occasions, an ordinary MRI is not sufficient to get the job done and we require a specialized process to see things which will allow us to detect any abnormality. A fluid referred to as a “contrast agent” will be injected into the bloodstream which will help to create contrast on the MRI image thus enabling us to detect certain abnormalities.
Once the job is accomplished, the contrast agent will be taken out of the body by means of the kidneys. However, the kidneys will not be removing this contrast agent quickly which might lead to the eventual poisoning of the human body.
Contrast agents make use of a rare metal known as Gadolinium. Recently, it has been discovered by the doctors that this metal comes with some painful side effects called Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis. The preliminary indications of this condition consist of muscle weakness, hypertension, as well as stiff and hardened epidermis. Moreover, the patients might also struggle with burning, itching, and extreme discomfort in the affected regions. Over time, they might even encounter stiffness in the joints that can impede their mobility completely. In some cases, they might even suffer death.