Keeping healthy after kidney failure

As well as the topics covered in the general support section, there are a number of further complications that patients with Established Kidney Failure may face.

Here are some of these:

• The chemical imbalance that can be caused by renal failure can lead to bone disease. Patients can minimise the risk of this by taking appropriate, prescribed medication. A guide to bone disease can be found here.
• A major function that the kidney provides is to manage the fluid balance in the body. Without that ability, patients are dependent on dialysis to provide this function. However it is still vital that patients understand how to balance their fluid intake in order to minimise the strain of removing large amounts of fluid through dialysis. A guide to balancing fluids can be found here.
• Another significant function that the kidney controls is the production of red blood cells. As a result dialysis patients often become anaemic. Here is a guide to Preventing Anaemia.
• Patients often experience skin irritation as well as more serious skin complications. The good news is that with care many of these can be avoided. Here is a guide to skincare.