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    1. About Kidney Disease
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      3. Kidney Disease Stages
      4. What Is a Nephrologist?
      5. What to Expect with CKD
      6. Kidney Disease Management
      7. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
      8. How Kidneys Work
      9. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
    2. Treatments
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Dialysis Basics
      3. Benefits of Home Dialysis
      4. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
      5. Home Hemodialysis
      6. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
      7. In-Center Hemodialysis
      8. Transplant
      9. Insurance & Managing Costs
      10. Choosing Not to Treat
    3. Life On Dialysis
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
      3. Staying Engaged
      4. Staying Healthy
      5. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
      6. Tips for Loved Ones
      7. PatientHub
    4. Recipes & Nutrition
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Recipes
      3. Managing Your Diet
      4. Fluid Management on Dialysis
      5. Dialysis Diet Planning
      6. Cookbooks
    5. Thrive Central
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      2. Dialysis
      3. Diet & Nutrition
      4. Stories
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    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center
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      Need help? Call 1-888-373-1470

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      1. About Kidney Disease
        1. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
          1. Symptoms
          2. Risk Factors
          3. Causes
          4. Diagnosis and Testing
          5. GFR Calculator
        2. Kidney Disease Stages
          1. Stage 1
          2. Stage 2
          3. Stage 3
          4. Stage 4
          5. Stage 5
        3. What Is a Nephrologist?
        4. What to Expect with CKD
        5. Kidney Disease Management
          1. Kidney Diet Basics
          2. CKD Medications
          3. Your Kidney Care Team
          4. Diabetes
          5. High Blood Pressure
        6. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
          1. Acute Kidney Injury Treatment and Recovery
        7. How Kidneys Work
        8. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
      2. Treatments
        1. Dialysis Basics
          1. How Does a Hemodialysis Machine Work
          2. Starting Dialysis
          3. Types of Dialysis Access
          4. Your Care Plan
          5. Dialysis Medications
          6. Monitoring Your Lab Results
        2. Benefits of Home Dialysis
        3. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. PD Access
          4. PD Training
          5. PD Monitoring
          6. Your Care Team
        4. Home Hemodialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. HD Training
          4. HD Monitoring
          5. Your Care Team
        5. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
        6. In-Center Hemodialysis
          1. In-Center Treatment Options
          2. What to Expect
          3. Types of Vascular Access for Hemodialysis
          4. Your Care Team
          5. How to Choose a Center
        7. Transplant
          1. Finding a Kidney Donor
          2. Considering Kidney Donation
        8. Insurance & Managing Costs
          1. Understanding Medicare Coverage
          2. Understanding Medicare Advantage
          3. Understanding Employer Plans
        9. Choosing Not to Treat
      3. Life On Dialysis
        1. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
          1. Managing Your Emotions
          2. Talking About Dialysis
          3. Intimacy
          4. Body Image and Dialysis
          5. Building Your Dialysis Support Network
        2. Staying Engaged
          1. Tips for Working While on Dialysis
          2. In-Center Activities
          3. Hobbies
        3. Staying Healthy
          1. Managing Your Time on Dialysis
          2. Dialysis & Exercise
          3. Weight Management
          4. Avoiding Infection
          5. Managing Multiple Conditions
          6. Fighting the Flu
        4. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
        5. Tips for Loved Ones
          1. In-Center Hemodialysis
          2. At-Home Hemodialysis
          3. At-Home Peritoneal Dialysis
        6. PatientHub
      4. Recipes & Nutrition
        1. Recipes
        2. Managing Your Diet
          1. Eating Well on a CKD Diet
          2. Eating Well on a Dialysis Diet
          3. Salt and Kidney Disease
          4. Potassium and Kidney Disease
          5. Phosphorus and Kidney Disease
          6. Talking With Your Dietitian
        3. Fluid Management on Dialysis
        4. Dialysis Diet Planning
          1. Kidney-Friendly Shopping
          2. Eating Out
          3. Holiday Diet Tips
          4. A Chef’s Advice | Chef Aaron McCargo on Kidney Friendly Meals
        5. Cookbooks
      5. Thrive Central
        1. CKD
        2. Dialysis
        3. Diet & Nutrition
        4. Stories
        5. Wellness
        6. See All
      Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
      Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
      OVERVIEW Managing Your Emotions Talking About Dialysis Intimacy Body Image and Dialysis Building Your Dialysis Support Network
      1. Home
      2. Life On Dialysis
      3. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
      4. Body Image and Dialysis

      Body Image and Dialysis

      Share:

      Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can bring about certain physical changes. No matter what they may be—and there can be many—you are still you at the core. Getting tips on how to handle these changes can help you stay focused on what’s most important: your personality and attitude. Talk to your social worker, dietitian or doctor about any body image issues you may experience.

      Body image change on dialysis

      Common body image issues with CKD

      Skin changes on dialysis

      Skin changes

      Waste products that your kidneys are no longer able to remove can cause changes in your skin color and texture. If you have light skin, it may look gray or yellowish in color. If you have a darker skin complexion, you may see it getting slightly darker.

      Itchy skin
      Many people on dialysis have itchy skin—usually on the back, chest, head, arms or legs. It may be worse during or just after a dialysis treatment. 

      Some reasons are:

      • The kidneys have trouble balancing certain minerals like calcium and phosphorus. Phosphate binders are medicines that can lower phosphate levels and may ease the itching.
      • Low calcium levels can trigger the parathyroid glands to release a hormone that may cause itching. Removing some—but not all—of the 4 parathyroid glands can reduce itching.

      Another way to ease itchy skin is with ultraviolet light. You could spend some time in the sun or with a therapeutic lightbox, which uses fluorescent light. Yet another option is to use an antihistamine, which can ease itching from many causes.

      There isn’t a single answer for everyone, so speak with your doctor or nurse to explore what may help you.

      Fragile skin
      Dialysis can also cause your skin to become thin and fragile. It may also tear, causing purple sores that heal slowly. This is called pseudoporphyria. If this happens to you, it’s best to see a dermatologist, who may be able to help.

      Time will help
      The more time you spend on dialysis, the better your skin will look. After a kidney transplant, your skin may even return to the way it was before you had CKD.
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      Ammonia breath from dialysis

      Ammonia breath

      When kidneys fail, waste products can make your breath smell like ammonia. You may even have that taste in your mouth.

      Freshen your breath by:

      • Brushing your teeth, gums and tongue several times a day
      • Flossing every day
      • Carrying a sample size of mouthwash in your bag

      Dry mouth is also common for people on dialysis. Sucking on ice chips or sugar-free candies can help.

      It’s also very important to visit your dentist for checkups on a regular basis. Dental hygiene can play a role in your overall health.

      Hair changes on dialysis

      Hair changes

      When you have kidney disease, you may find your hair thinning. This can be due to a lack of certain nutrients in your diet. Check with your doctor to see if you should be taking supplements—but don’t start taking them without that advice. Once you’ve figured out the cause of your hair loss, you can also head to your stylist or barber. Volumizing shampoos and conditioners, as well as a stylish cut or hair color, can give your image a bit of a boost.

      Weight gain on dialysis

      Weight gain or loss

      Chronic kidney disease can cause weight changes. If you’re worried about your changing weight, be sure to talk to your dietitian. Your dietitian can suggest an appropriate meal plan and work with you to achieve a healthy weight.

      Surgical scars from dialysis

      Surgical scars

      There is simply no way around having them if you’re doing dialysis. You may want to consider covering vascular access areas with light, breathable clothing. You can also think of your scars as badges of honor for what you’ve gone through.
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