Dialysis is a treatment method that is used by those, who have acute or chronic renal disease or kidney failure. The kidneys are two organs in the body that helps in the purification of blood, by removing wastes and toxins. However, when the kidney stops functioning properly, it fails to purify the blood and thus, the blood becomes toxic and this leads to various other diseases and deadly conditions in the body. In that case, dialysis can help the patient to remove the blood wastes artificially, with the use of an external machine.
Can Dialysis be Temporary?
Yes, dialysis can be a temporary treatment method. As already mentioned, dialysis is a treatment method that is recommended to a patient, when he/she has dysfunctional kidneys. While talking about the function of the kidneys, it must be mentioned that even when 90% of the kidneys are not working properly, the kidneys can still purify the blood. However, it is when even the 10% of the kidneys stop functioning properly that the patient requires medical support.
Dysfunctional kidneys would mean no purification of blood. With too much of waste materials and toxic materials in the blood, the body will experience various symptoms that would ultimately cause serious diseases leading to deadly consequences. The doctors test the creatinine levels and the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level, to check if the kidney is working properly or not. When these levels are significantly high, it indicates that the kidneys are not working.
Once the kidneys are not working, there is no other way than to undergo the dialysis treatment. However, here it must be mentioned that, if the kidney function problem or kidney failure is not a permanent condition, the dialysis too would not be a permanent treatment method but rather a temporary one.
Can the Need for Dialysis be Reversed?
In short, yes; but not always!
Renal diseases can be of two types – acute and chronic. In case of acute renal diseases, there is a sudden and rapid deterioration in the kidney function. The kidneys can’t filter the blood wastes suddenly and the wastes or toxins get deposited in the body, leading to other diseases. However, it is not an irreversible process. By catering the exact cause and by providing treatments like dialysis, the wastes can well be removed from the body and blood. Gradually after one or a few dialysis sessions, as the kidney starts to function properly again, the patient might not require undergoing any further dialysis sessions. Hence, it is not a permanent condition and there would be no need for dialysis any further once the kidneys start doing better.
Unfortunately, if the patient is suffering from chronic kidney failure or End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), then there is no way that the kidney function can be resolved. The chronic renal disease means a slow, but steady and long lasting or permanent failure of the kidney function. In that case, dialysis is a permanent treatment and its need cannot be reversed.
Conclusion
The need for dialysis varies from one patient to another and can only be determined by the doctor, depending on the test results and health conditions. However, in case you are a candidate for transplanting or replacing your kidney, despite being a chronic ESRD patient, you might not need any dialysis further.
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