Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that rids your body of unwanted toxins, waste products and excess fluids by filtering your blood. When kidneys fail, your body may have difficulty cleaning your blood and keeping your system chemically balanced. Dialysis can take the place of some kidney function and, along with medication and proper care, help you live longer.
Why do people need dialysis?
If your chronic kidney disease (CKD) reaches end stage renal disease (ESRD), also known as kidney failure or stage 5 CKD, your kidneys are no longer functioning to filter and clean the blood the way healthy kidneys normally would. Without treatment, life-threatening waste and toxins will build up in the body. At this point, dialysis treatment is needed to prolong life until you can receive a kidney transplant.
If you have conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, you are at higher risk for kidney failure, which means you may eventually require treatment like a kidney transplant or dialysis. Dialysis removes excess fluid from the body, helping to control blood pressure. Working with your doctor to keep blood sugar and blood pressure controlled may help keep your kidneys working longer.
How does the dialysis process work?
Dialysis acts as an artificial kidney by filtering toxins, waste, and fluid from your blood through a semipermeable membrane—a material that allows fluids and small particles to flow through it, but not larger particles. The 2 types of dialysis, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, use different methods to filter toxins from your body. With hemodialysis, the filtering membrane is called a dialyzer and is inside a dialysis machine. Your blood is circulated through the dialysis machine and cleaned before being returned to your body. With peritoneal dialysis, the filtering membrane is the natural lining of your peritoneum or abdomen and blood never leaves your body. Both types of dialysis also use a dialysate solution in the filtering process to help remove unwanted substances.
