Dialysis Basics > Getting Enough Dialysis
Getting enough dialysis helps you feel better and live longer. It also improves your overall health. Here are some ways dialysis helps you:
- Dialysis cleans the blood. Without dialysis, the waste products will build up in your system and can make you feel sick.
- Dialysis removes extra fluid. When your kidneys fail, fluid can build up all over your body including your lungs. This can make it hard for you to move or breathe. In most cases, dialysis is the only way you can get rid of water.
- Dialysis decreases your blood pressure.
Healthy kidneys filter the waste and water 24 hours a day. When your kidneys fail you are on dialysis to ‘clean the system’. It is important that you dialyze long enough. There are 168 hours in a week and you may only have about 12 hours of dialysis—about 7% as much as healthy kidneys. If you miss just 2 minutes of each treatment, it adds up to more than 5 hours of dialysis missed per year. The more dialysis you get the better you will feel.
Symptoms of not getting enough dialysis
Having any of the symptoms below may mean you are not getting enough dialysis:
- Dizzy, faint, lightheaded
- Ringing in the ears
- Racing pulse
- Feeling warm, sweating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Yawning
- Itching
- Severe muscle cramps (anywhere on the body)
If you have any of these symptoms tell your doctor or nurse. Ask if more dialysis will help.