A good intake of protein. Protein is one of the building blocks of the body, and therefore it is critical to get ample quantities through the diet to re-stock on what has been lost to allow the body to repair itself. This is usually a joy for dialysis patients as the lead up to dialysis requires heavy dietary protein restriction. Generally, for patients on hemodialysis, 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilo of body weight is enough; for patients on peritoneal dialysis, 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilo of body weight is recommended.
Recommended nutrients. Some nutrients are proved to be helpful in prolonging life-span and life quality of patients on dialysis. Iron is suggested for its treatment on anemia and low hemoglobin levels. Multivitamin and mineral supplements contribute to all-side improvement of body health. Magnesium can strengthen cardiovascular health and alleviate symptoms of renal failure, such as high blood sugar, fatigue, headache etc.
Herbal medicine. Herbs are also good choice to improve dialysis life quality and prolong life expectancy. Some herbs have the property of improve renal functions, which helps alleviate underlying kidney disease. Some other herbs contain the substances which treat some complications of renal failure naturally. Herbs help improve dialysis life expectancy include hawthorn, olive leaf, dandelion, ginseng etc.
Optimize your dialysis frequency. Some patients are afraid that they will depend on dialysis in the rest of life, so they usually reduce their dialysis frequency. In fact, you should optimize your dialysis with your doctors. Inadequate dialysis will keep toxins remain in your body while increased frequency of dialysis will burden your weak health. Both of them will shorten your dialysis lifespan.
Most people on dialysis want their doctors to predict their lifespan, when they begin the dialysis. However, how long you will live totally depends on yourself. If you choose a healthy management for dialysis (healthy diet, proper exercise, herbs support etc), surely you will have a longer life expectancy than these who don’t. Some people do live a longer life than doctor predicts, but it does with reasons. If you need more help, you can mail to kidneyask@hotmail.com for further guideline.
