7 tips to keep your fluid down on dialysisWritten by Stuart Drew
As any dialysis patient will tell you, keeping your fluid gain between dialysis sessions in check is not only important to your long term health, it is a major factor in your immediate well-being.Keeping fluid level gains as low as possible between dialysis treatments will minimize risk of congestive heart failure, pulmonary oedema, and hypertension. Cramps, headaches and breathing difficulties are short term side-effects of fluid overload, and whilst not as dangerous as long term effects, these should be heeded as a pointer to fluid overload in dialysis patients. Whilst every dialysis patient has their own special method of keeping their fluid levels in check, I thought it might be pertinent to explain some of methods that I have found (relatively) successful. 1/ Buy a bag of ice. I have a large chest freezer in my kitchen, I buy a 5kg (approx 11lb) bag of ice chips from service (gas) station, place it in freezer, and suck on ice chips throughout day. Make sure freezer is in a convenient place, so you can reach it quickly to grab a few small pieces of ice, so you can avoid temptation to fill a glass with ice. (In which case you might as well have that mug of coffee you wanted in first place!) 2/ Get a GOOD set of digital scales. I have a set which measures with an accuracy of 200grams (don’t we all wish we could afford scales at dialysis unit which measure to 50grams?!?), which is accurate enough to get a good idea of where you are at with your fluid gain. Work out difference between your dialysis centre scales, and your home scales, so you can get an accurate reflection of your fluid gain. I weigh myself first thing when I get up in morning (you’d be surprised how much weight you lose over a warm night!), as soon as I get home from work, and whenever I have a drink. This method is great in two ways: 1)You never (well, rarely, anyway!) get a nasty surprise when you arrive at dialysis and jump on scales. And 2) You don’t get opposite surprise of getting to dialysis with only 1kg of fluid on, thinking: “Damn, I wish I’d drank more!” (I often find myself in ridiculous situation of forcing myself to have another cup of coffee before I leave for dialysis, as there’s no bank for fluid, once you’ve had that dialysis, opportunity to have that drink is gone forever!)
| | Health Insurance, what does it mean?Written by Ariful Anam
Health Insurance, what does it mean?Your health insurance policy is an agreement between you and your insurance company. The policy lists a package of medical benefits such as tests, drugs and treatment services. The insurance company agrees to cover cost of certain benefits listed in your policy. These are called "covered services." Your health insurance policy also lists kinds of services that are not covered by your insurance company. You have to pay for any uncovered medical care health insurance that you receive. Keep in mind that in case of health insurance a medical necessity is not same as a medical benefit. A medical necessity is something that your doctor has decided is necessary. A medical benefit is something that your insurance plan has agreed to cover. In some cases, your doctor might decide that you need medical care that is not covered by your insurance policy. Insurance companies determine what tests, drugs and services they will cover. These choices are based on their understanding of kinds of medical care that most patients need. Your insurance company's choices may mean that test, drug or service you need isn't covered by your policy. Your doctor will try to be familiar with your insurance coverage so he or she can provide you with covered care. However, there are so many different insurance plans that it's not possible for your doctor to know specific details of each plan. By understanding your insurance coverage, you can help your doctor recommend medical care that is covered in your plan.
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