When your kidneys fail to remove the toxins from your body naturally, dialysis takes up the task. The dialysis machine removes all the extra water and waste products from your body. The treatment is usually done three times a week or as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Each sitting takes around 4 hours. Due to the long duration of each sitting and the frequency, some patients may feel tempted to skip a session or two. But what about the consequences? Do you know how skipping a dialysis treatment or two can affect your body? Let us together understand how it works.
What Happens When You Skip A Treatment?
When you miss dialysis treatments, the body builds up toxins that cannot be eliminated naturally because your kidney does not work. But if you do not remove it artificially, it can lead to death.
Accumulation of Toxins
Your kidney is designed to segregate and remove toxins 24 hours a day. The body keeps accumulating fluid that must be eliminated. If you skip a sitting, the next one becomes more tedious and time-consuming. It can also be more painful for you. Thus, it is best not to skip even one session. We understand the temptation that a patient must feel when travelling for dialysis treatment. To ensure that your ride to the hospital and back home is safe and comfortable, you can opt for patient transport services. These services are the best for patients.
Swelling
Missing out on dialysis can swell your entire body up because your kidneys fail to eliminate the toxic water. This fluid gets trapped in your tissues which causes them to expand. It is imperative to get rid of the liquid regularly, or it could lead to death.
Multiple Organ Dysfunction
Kidney failure often leads to multiple organ dysfunction syndromes. To stop that from happening, doctors recommend regular dialysis. If you skip a few sessions, it can lead to shocking all your organs, making them slowly dysfunctional and eventually leading to failure. Once your organs begin to fail simultaneously, there is almost no hope for recovery.
Abnormal Sensations
Often missing out on a session can start affecting your body immediately. Patients may feel a burning sensation under the feet and other parts of the body. These sensory issues can be irritating and cause discomfort in your daily activities.
Cardiovascular Disease
As the toxin levels rise in your body, the risk of cardiovascular disease also shoots up. It even makes breathing more difficult, leading to further complications.
Fatigue
If the toxins are not cleared, you will feel fatigued and notice muscle changes. Dialysis is done to help kidney patients live a healthy lifestyle. Skipping out on the treatment can make you feel weak and tired all day long.
However, it is not very uncommon for people to skip a dialysis session. You would not die for sure but may face nausea, vomiting, and burning sensation. In such a case, you should talk to your health provider and schedule a session as soon as possible. Make sure you do not miss out on too many in a row.
Why Do People Miss Out on Dialysis?
There are several reasons why people stop going to dialysis treatment. Some skip it due to family plans or occasions. Patients and older people must attend such functions but not at the cost of treatment. Travelling and socializing help them overcome depression. These days depression in older people is very common, and mental health is equally important. But one must try to manage dates according to the dialysis schedule.
Some people miss out on dialysis sessions simply due to the lack of appropriate transport. People who live alone or are handicapped cannot drive to the treatment centre easily. They can opt for Handicap transportation Charlotte NC to reach safely.
Some patients arbitrarily determine that they do not want to continue dialysis. They may feel better and decide not to continue it. But you must remember that it is an ongoing process, and your body needs to flush out the toxins regularly. It is not a question of if you are feeling better or not. You are feeling good because of the dialysis, and the moment you stop, your health will deteriorate. However, you must always speak to your doctor first and do as he advises.
We understand the trouble of taking trips almost every alternative day to the treatment facility, and it takes a lot of effort for many patients to get ready and arrive there. It is thus not unnatural to want to skip a day. In case you are ill, you can do so but make sure that you talk to your doctor about scheduling another one. You can contact Secure Comfort Care to avail of their transporting services. They make sure that you reach your destination safely and also have caretakers for the ride.
