Hygiene is one of the essential factors for good health. However, it becomes even more crucial for individuals undergoing dialysis therapy. People with CKD or kidney failure undergo dialysis therapy, making them more vulnerable to infections and complications. Hence, dialysis guests must follow strict hygiene habits. Let us now understand some essential hygiene habits that dialysis guests should incorporate into their daily lives.
Hand Washing:
Amongst every other hygiene habit, hand washing is the most essential and common way to prevent infection, especially for dialysis guests. Because every dialysis guest is required to have a vascular access site for dialysis. Dialysis clinics like NephroPlus provide guidelines on proper hand-washing techniques. A dialysis guest should use soap and warm water to scrub their hands for at least 30 seconds. Pay attention to fingertips, nails, and the spaces between their fingers while hand washing is also essential.
Vascular Access Care:
When we consider dialysis guests, it is crucial to maintain the cleanliness and integrity of the vascular access site. Regular care is necessary to prevent infections, especially when a guest has an arteriovenous fistula, graft, or catheter. Touching or scratching the access area with unclean hands leads to infection. Therefore, the area should be covered with a clean dressing every time.
Dialysis Equipment and Environment:
Clean, sanitised dialysis equipment and the environment are always safer. Dialysis clinics, like NephroPlus, have strict protocols, such as RenAssure Protocol, for cleaning and disinfecting their machines and other equipment. Along with healthcare staff, the guests must be careful and adhere to these protocols to avoid infections at any cost.
Personal Hygiene:
Even after a safe disinfecting process, different diseases can be transferred if one does not maintain personal hygiene. Dialysis guests, who are more prone to infections, should take regular showers to keep their access site clean and dry. Oral hygiene is also included in personal hygiene. Regular toothbrushing, flossing, and dental check-ups are crucial. Additionally, keeping clean and trimmed nails prevents accidental scratching and potential infections.
Diet and Fluid:
Hygiene habits also include dietary and fluid choices. Dialysis guests should always adhere to nutritional guidelines recommended by the dietician. Moreover, one should always be aware that contaminated or spoiled food can lead to foodborne illnesses, which are dangerous for dialysis guests. NephroPlus has expert dieticians who make personalised diet and nutrition charts; as we know, every individual body has different needs. In addition to this, controlling fluid intake also plays a vital role. Make sure that no excess fluid buildup in the body, which can lead to swelling and increased blood pressure.
In conclusion, treatments and dialysis therapy only work when good hygiene is maintained. Because sometimes, even when a treatment works well, people suffer from infections due to their unhygienic habits. Therefore, maintaining good hygiene habits can help reduce the risk of infections and complications. Additionally, when we consider the health of dialysis guests, they should work closely with their healthcare team to develop and maintain a hygiene routine. By following these hygiene habits diligently, dialysis guests can not only reduce the risk of complications, but also improve their quality of life.
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