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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
      Dialysis Basics
      Dialysis Basics
      OVERVIEW How Does a Hemodialysis Machine Work Starting Dialysis Types of Dialysis Access Your Care Plan Dialysis Medications Monitoring Your Lab Results
      medical professional discussing dialysis with a patient

      What Is Dialysis?

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      Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that rids your body of unwanted toxins, waste products and excess fluids by filtering your blood. When kidneys fail, your body may have difficulty cleaning your blood and keeping your system chemically balanced. Dialysis can take the place of some kidney function and, along with medication and proper care, help you live longer.

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      STARTING DIALYSIS? TAKE A FREE CLASS

      Learn how to feel your best and thrive on dialysis. Choose the class format that fits your life—educator-led or self-guided.
      Sign Up now

      Why do people need dialysis?

      If your chronic kidney disease (CKD) reaches end stage renal disease (ESRD), also known as kidney failure or stage 5 CKD, your kidneys are no longer functioning to filter and clean the blood the way healthy kidneys normally would. Without treatment, life-threatening waste and toxins will build up in the body. At this point, dialysis treatment is needed to prolong life until you can receive a kidney transplant.

      If you have conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, you are at higher risk for kidney failure, which means you may eventually require treatment like a kidney transplant or dialysis. Dialysis removes excess fluid from the body, helping to control blood pressure. Working with your doctor to keep blood sugar and blood pressure controlled may help keep your kidneys working longer.

      Doctors use a number of kidney function tests to determine your kidney health. Most people begin dialysis treatment when they have a GFR of <15, meaning they’ve lost about 85 to 90 percent of their kidney function. Early diagnosis of CKD and regular monitoring can help you keep your kidneys functioning for as long as possible—and allow you and your doctor to plan for ESRD treatment when necessary.

      MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS ON DIALYSIS

      Learning you need dialysis can be hard to accept. Get tips for managing your emotions to help you stick to your treatment plan and thrive.
      Learn More

      What is dialysis: the facts at a glance

      Kidney dialysis is a treatment that can help you live well with ESRD.

      • Dialysis can perform regular functions that your kidneys are no longer able to perform themselves.
      • Dialysis helps to keep your body’s potassium, phosphorus, and sodium levels balanced.
      • Dialysis empowers you to live a full, active life with kidney failure.
      • There are 2 types of kidney dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
      • More and more people are choosing home dialysis, which can offer greater flexibility and better outcomes.
      • The best dialysis option for you is the one that best fits your lifestyle and health needs.
      • Many people switch dialysis types to fit a changing lifestyle at some point during long-term treatment.

      Get dialysis resources.

      YOU CAN THRIVE ON DIALYSIS

      You can live a full life on dialysis treatment—and there’s plenty of support to help you reach your goals.
      GET RESOURCES

      How does the dialysis process work?

      Dialysis acts as an artificial kidney by filtering toxins, waste, and fluid from your blood through a semipermeable membrane—a material that allows fluids and small particles to flow through it, but not larger particles. The 2 types of dialysis, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, use different methods to filter toxins from your body. With hemodialysis, the filtering membrane is called a dialyzer and is inside a dialysis machine. Your blood is circulated through the dialysis machine and cleaned before being returned to your body. With peritoneal dialysis, the filtering membrane is the natural lining of your peritoneum or abdomen and blood never leaves your body. Both types of dialysis also use a dialysate solution in the filtering process to help remove unwanted substances.


      Comparing the 2 types of dialysis

      Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis both filter unwanted waste from your body. Depending on which type of dialysis treatment you choose, you may also have options for doing your dialysis in the comfort of your home or in a dialysis center.
      Peritoneal dialysis 
      Peritoneal dialysis uses the blood vessels in the lining of your abdomen—the body’s natural filter—along with a solution called dialysate to filter toxins. With this method, a peritoneal catheter serves as your access into your abdomen and blood never leaves your body. Home peritoneal dialysis can be done with a machine or manually at home, at work, or even while traveling. 
      See How Peritoneal Dialysis Machines Work
      Hemodialysis
      Hemodialysis filters your blood using a dialysis machine or through a dialyzer. Once you are connected to the machine via your hemodialysis access, blood flows into the machine, gets filtered and is returned to your body. Hemodialysis is performed either at home or in a dialysis center. Home hemodialysis can be performed in the comfort of your own home, either with the help of a care partner or on your own. In-center hemodialysis is performed by a trained team of nurses and technicians. 
      See How Hemodialysis Machines Work

      How long does dialysis take?

      With hemodialysis, your treatment length and frequency depends on your doctor’s prescription  and where you receive your treatment:

      • Home hemodialysis can be done 5–6 days a week for 2 1/2 to 3 hours each, 3 days a week for 3–5 hours, or for 6–8 hours while you sleep every night or every other night. You may also require longer treatments or a different weekly number of treatments, depending on your unique condition.
      • In-center hemodialysis is typically done 3 times a week for 3–5 hours during the day or 8 hours for nocturnal hemodialysis.

      With peritoneal dialysis, the length of treatment will depend on whether you choose continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or automated peritoneal dialysis (APD):

      • CAPD treatments are done manually, without a machine, about 3–5 times per day.
      • APD uses a machine called a “cycler” and can be done as a longer single session while you sleep, as multiple shorter sessions during the day or night, or as a combination of these options.

      Dialysis treatment is prescribed by your doctor. Together, you and your doctor will discuss treatment options and determine what’s right for you. If you decide to go on dialysis, your doctor will prescribe your treatment time and frequency based on your unique health needs. It’s important to complete your dialysis treatment exactly as prescribed to feel your best.

      Learn About Kidney Failure Treatment Options
      Chris’s testimonial for thriving on peritoneal dialysis

      MEET CHRIS

      Thriving on peritoneal dialysis since 2016.
      WATCH HER STORY
      Gloria’s testimonial for thriving on hemodialysis

      MEET GLORIA

      Thriving on hemodialysis since 2013.
      WATCH HER STORY

      EVERY MINUTE OF DIALYSIS COUNTS

      Your treatment schedule is personalized to your exact needs. Completing every prescribed treatment will help you feel your best.

      Find Out Why
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