Health

How to Get Ready for Your Home Dialysis

Published

9 months ago

November 17, 2021

If you are diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure, dialysis becomes a suitable treatment option to manage the condition. It is an ongoing treatment that involves the use of a machine that performs the kidney’s functions. In addition, the therapy offers an opportunity where you can complete your treatment at home for your convenience. If the option is for you, Cypress home dialysis specialists at Houston Kidney Specialists Center can help you understand how the treatment works and what you can expect. Additionally, you will need to make preparations as the treatment will interfere with your daily life, as outlined herein.

Note That You Will Receive Training

Home dialysis means that you are going to do most of the work yourself. But keep in mind that you will wait for about two weeks for the catheter site to heal before you begin your dialysis. Your provider will train you during this period or after the area has cured on how to connect and disconnect, prepare the dialysis bags and machinery, dispose of the fluid, and when to seek medical attention.

Pay Attention to the Amount of Fluids You Take

Your doctor may restrict your fluid intake before you begin your dialysis. Therefore, ensure that you keep track of the amount of fluids you consume to maintain a fluid restriction diet. If you have individual needs concerning particular drinks, it would be best to discuss them with your doctor during your dialysis consultation.

Eat Healthily

Before you start your dialysis, you will need to adopt a healthy diet routine. You can reduce your salt and carbohydrate intake to minimize the number of wastes necessary to be eliminated through the treatment. Ensure that you eat a balanced diet, including fruits, vegetables, and meat. Additionally, talk to your doctor about the specific diet you might be required to follow based on your condition.

Manage Your Blood Pressure

Dialysis relies on your blood circulation. Therefore, blood pressure can have adverse effects on your immunity affecting the treatment and can cause more severe complications. Therefore, ensure that your blood pressure is checked and you take the necessary precautions. You can manage your blood pressure through diet, exercises, or medications before you begin your dialysis. Although your kidney has failed, high blood pressure affects the amount of oxygen delivered into them and other organs, which can trigger heart disease and impact your sight.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is generally harmful to your health and can affect your kidney failure treatment. Your body becomes stressed in fighting the damage and inflammation caused by the chemicals in cigarettes. Nicotine causes constriction of your blood vessels affecting the oxygen and nutrients levels available to the cells. Additionally, tar and other chemicals affect your immune system making it less effective in fighting infections.

Get Plenty of Sleep Every Night

Note that dialysis works best with sleep as your body effectively removes waste products when you are well-rested. Therefore, it would help to develop a healthy sleeping habit before you start your dialysis. You should sleep for eight hours each night to support waste removal from your body and brain. This should continue even when you start dialysis, and you should let your doctor know if you experience trouble sleeping.

Reach out to Houston Kidney Specialists Center to understand more about home dialysis and know what you can expect. Your provider will help you get ready for the treatment.

Health

The Role of Technology in Driving Affordable Healthcare

Published

19 hours ago

August 19, 2022

Michelle Langton

Brillio CTO Chander Damodaran Shares Some Promising Trends in Healthcare Market Dynamics

If any event could cause a massive upheaval within the healthcare industry, it would be a global pandemic. COVID-19 forced institutions and practitioners to reevaluate their methods and internal systems from top to bottom. Technology, telecommunications, and consumer industries pivoted their attention towards the healthcare industry looking to address new challenges and disruptions caused and revealed by the pandemic. Telehealth, in particular, saw a massive increase in interest and funding from these sectors as the global pandemic accelerated the need for digital solutions.

At digital tech companies like Brillio, team members search for solutions to the challenges faced by patients and practitioners alike. Their team is focused on developing forward-thinking, real-world tech to meet the growing public demand for better, more efficient healthcare. According to Brillio’s data, the global healthcare IT market is projected to grow 29.3% within the next 8 years reaching a value of $135.6 billion. The telehealth revenue share in the global healthcare IT alone is anticipated to grow at a rate of 41%, the fastest growth rate ever recorded.

According to the CTO of Brillio Chander Damodaran, the market is becoming vastly more patient-centric. For digital tech companies, the time is opportune to develop technology solutions that can benefit the average patient. Most of us are pretty comfortable with wearable technology- think Apple Watch or Fitbit for example- but there is massive potential to digitize all of the different systems including wearables to create a truly connected digital experience. Tech that monitors and shares health parameters is nothing new, and it could be just the beginning. Telehealth is poised to bring patients and providers closer than ever before, if not physically, then certainly virtually. Damodaran predicts a swift increase in the utilization of telehealth services of 38% post-pandemic as health systems weave digital solutions into their institutional systems.

In his opinion, there is a massive demand for telehealth solutions that benefit consumers by making pricing and procedural information more transparent. One way this is manifesting is through the emergence of mandates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of National Statistics. These mandates, including the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule published in May 2020 and the CMS Price Transparency Final Rule published in July 2022, would allow patients to make an informed decision on their providers and services thus offering greater control over their healthcare plans and spending.

Damodaran is optimistic about where the industry is headed in relation to digital tech. From venture capital to private investment, investment in telehealth is booming. Increased interest in tech solutions for the healthcare industry is driving up investment rates, allowing for more development. This could result in better immersive and wearable technologies, the acceleration of solutions like digital twins, and the development of new tech solutions.

While many are still trying to understand the extent of their healthcare costs, increased accessibility and transparency remain at the forefront of the conversation. All these trends are not only exciting developments for the tech world and interesting opportunities for investors, but they are also potentially life-changing developments for each one of us leading to affordable healthcare and access to globally renowned experts and practitioners.

For more information about the role of technology in healthcare, visit www.brillio.com.