Summer is a time of easy risk of fluid imbalance in the body, because hot sweating causes the body to sweat more, changing the amount of water in and out compared to normal days. This can affect the treatment process if kidney patients do not closely monitor their condition.
Dr. Nguyen Hai Nam - Head of the Artificial Kidney Department, Nam Thang Long Hospital said that in the summer, the most important issue for dialysis patients is to control the amount of fluid introduced into the body and the amount of fluid excreted.
There are patients who sweat a lot, so their weight changes compared to normal. However, there are also people who drink too much water due to hot weather or, conversely, are afraid of edema, so they drink too little. Both cases are not good for health," Dr. Nam emphasized.
According to Dr. Nam, balancing the amount of water entering the body in the summer needs to be done carefully. Patients should not drink too much but should also not arbitrarily limit water to excessive levels, because both can affect health and the blood filtration process.
In addition to controlling drinking water, nutrition also plays an important role in maintaining health for kidney patients.
Dr. Nguyen Hai Nam said that many people still have the misconception that kidney failure patients need to completely abstain from protein. In fact, patients still need to be supplemented with protein according to the recommended level suitable for each stage of the disease.
Protein still needs to be supplied according to the permitted levels. We all have specific instructions on diet for people with kidney failure. The important thing is that patients eat bland food, control water intake and follow nutritional recommendations," said Dr. Nam.
In addition, in the summer, many fruits in season have a sweet, juicy taste, so they are favored by patients. However, this is also a group of foods that need to be used with caution.
According to Dr. Nam, most fruits contain potassium, but the content of each type is different. Patients with kidney failure need to limit fruits with high potassium content and should only use the appropriate amount according to the doctor's instructions.
Each type of fruit has a different amount of potassium. Some types are large, some are small, so specific advice is needed for each patient. People who have been on dialysis for many years have often been guided and quite well grasped the diet suitable for them," said Dr. Nam.
On hot sunny days, kidney patients should not arbitrarily increase their water intake just because of thirst, and should also not skip drinking water excessively. Daily weight monitoring, controlling water intake, maintaining a bland diet and choosing foods according to doctor's instructions will help patients limit the risk of complications in the summer.
