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How Dialysis Helps People Live a Normal Life?
Some say getting shots for diabetes each day is quite painful. But this pain is less as compared to undergoing a dialysis. Dialysis is one of the medical emergencies that needs a well-qualified doctor and well equipped hospital to carry out.
So, what is dialysis and why it is carried out?
Normally, kidneys of a healthy person filter about 1500 liters of blood in a day. If the kidneys do not function properly, then the waste builds up in the bloodstream. After a time period, it can lead the individuals to coma and eventually death. This medical emergency calls for the need of dialysis which is an artificial alternative to serve this function.
Dialysis is done about 1-3 times in a week, depending upon the type of dialysis and the condition of the patient. Each session goes on for about 3 to 4 hours. Dialysis averts the level of waste product from reaching the level when it will cause some serious damage to the body. Moreover, it removes the toxic stuffs from the bloodstream and maintains the level of water and minerals in the body.
Can dialysis be considered as a substitute for kidneys?
Apart from acting as a filter, kidneys also secrete chemicals that help in metabolism. Dialysis helps the person suffering from damaged kidneys. Apart from this treatment and medication, the patients also must ensure they keep in check the amount and type of food and drink they consume. No matter how advance medical science is, dialysis cannot replace the kidneys.
Dialysis from a young age can affect fertility in some people, especially women as compared to men. However, most of the people suffering from kidney damage can lead a normal live, work and travel, provided that their destination is suitable enough to carry out dialysis.
Whether to do it at home or at the hospital?
It can be carried out at home as well. But before making this decision, the patient and their caregiver must be aware of the entire process and mechanism thoroughly. It is suitable for only those patients who remain in stable condition during the procedure. Also, their home environment must be suitable for carrying out dialysis.
However, dialysis is best carried out in hospital, where doctors monitor and assist in case of any problem. Thus, it is advised to let the professions carry out these procedures in a more sterile and secure environment.
Kidney Stones – Various Types of Kidney Stones
The Kidneys play a vital function in the body as it purifies the blood and creates urine. Kidney stones are hard particles accumulated over time. According to doctors, there are mainly four types of kidney stones. Let’s understand each of these in details.
Calcium stones- Most of the kidney stones are made up of calcium component, particularly the calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate along with traces of other minerals. Presence of high level of oxalate also contributes towards the formation of calcium kidney stones. Any episode of hyperparathyroidism elevates the risk of developing calcium stones in the future.
Use of certain medication may prevent calcium kidney stones.
Struvite stones– Some of the kidney stones are made up of struvite. It can occur in both kidney and urinary tract. If it’s left untreated for a long time, it grows larger in size, which is also known as staghorn calculi. Apart from causing kidney stones, it can also lead to urinary tract infection.
As it can get bigger in size with time due to accumulate, it is considered as a serious health crisis. It can also cause infection. The medical treatment includes antibiotics; and if nothing significantly changes for better, then it has to be removed by surgical intervention. Women are more susceptible to develop a UTI and struvite stones as compared to men.
Uric acid stones- Some kidney stones are comprised of uric acid. Uric acid is a waste product produced by the body. Usually it passes through the body before eliminating as waste, but if this passage gets interrupted, then it accumulates to form stones.
Usually certain medications are used to dissolve these stones to prevent its further formation. People who are more likely to suffer from uric acid kidney stones are as follows-
- Having low urine as output
- Consuming a diet rich in animal protein
- Significant increase in alcohol consumption
- Medical conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and Gout
Cysteine stones- Less common type of kidney stones are comprised of cysteine. It is a chemical substance present in urine in traces. But the individuals who possess a high concentration of cysteine in the urine are likely to develop this kind of kidney stone in the future.
Certain medicines can be used to prevent it from occurring, in case it has already been formed, use of medication may dissolve it. However, if it causes blockage in the urinary tract, it has to be removed by surgery.
Gyneacology – Why go for ‘Well Women Package’?
Women are the nurturer of the world and true architect of the society. But sadly, most of them ignore their health for a major part of their life. According to Gynecologists of ILS Hospitals, the prime reason for overlooking medical needs are ignorance and taboo. Several women open up their physical discomfort and pain only when it becomes intolerable and reaches the chronic stage and unfortunately, only a little can be done about it.
Thus, we looked into this as a serious issue and came up with an affordable and complete health checkup package for every woman in India.
So what is the ‘well women’ health package?
Introduced by us at ILS Hospitals, it is a complete healthcare package for women. It covers all essential screenings that are required to ensure proper health. The well women package consists of the following screening-
- Complete haemogram with ESR profile
- PAP smear
- Blood sugar profile (fasting)
- Thyroid profile
- Urine test
- Mammography for women over 40 years
- USG breast screening for women below 40 years
- Chest X-ray
- ECG
- USG of entire abdominal cavity
Apart from the diagnosis and result, a consultation with the gynecologist helps to properly decode the reports, so the patient can get a clear picture of her health status. Also it helps the doctors to understand the patient’s health stability and which aspect of their health needs more attention.
Why it is recommended?
Proper diagnosis ensures the health status of the patient. If any abnormality is observed, its proper treatment can be sought as soon as possible. Usually it is found among women that they do not seek any medical help, let it be screening or consultation until they face some difficulties. This mindset needs to change, the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment must be impregnated in the mind of the society to build a healthy future.
Who are qualified to avail these?
Ideally, every woman should have it at least once in a year, starting from her mid-30s. But according to Gynecologists of ILS Hospitals, a lady should not delay it further than 45 years of age.
Why choose ILS Hospitals?
Several health care providers in Kolkata offer women checkup packages. But going for a ‘well woman checkup’ at ILS Hospitals is the best choice, not only from an economic point of view, but also because it consists of the precise set of screening which is needed to ensure proper health. We, at ILS Hospitals, understand that every woman is unique in her own way and has special needs, and thus offer appropriate consultation according to individual needs.