How To Prevent Constipation In Peritoneal Dialysis

How to prevent constipation in peritoneal dialysis? Peritoneal dialysis is not always trouble-free. Patients on peritoneal dialysis may experience various symptoms and constipation is just one of the complications.

1. What causes constipation in peritoneal dialysis?

There are various factors that can lead to constipation including a low fiber diet, poor fluid intake, lack of exercise and various medications especially calcium and iron supplements. In peritoneal dialysis, constipation is associated with peritoneal catheter malfunction or catheter migration, usually characterized by poor dialysate outflow or failure to drain the peritoneal cavity. Peritonitis may also be related to constipation, which may cause dialysis modality failure. Besides, colon perforation, a rare complication, has been reported as a result of chronic constipation in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

2. How to prevent constipation in peritoneal dialysis?

Stool softeners

Stool softeners can make stools softer and easier to pass by pulling more water into them. You can take 2 times a day to help keep your stools soft. Reduce the dosage if your stools get too soft.

Lifestyle changes

Besides, management of constipation usually involves increasing dietary fiber and fluid intake, avoiding use of constipating medications and increasing physical activity. However, for peritoneal dialysis patients, constipation management options are usually limited in some form, because of diet and fluid restriction and the use of certain medications such as phosphate binders, which cannot be avoided.

Chinese medicines

If dialysis can be reduced or avoided, constipation may be prevented radically. How to avoid dialysis? In order to avoid dialysis, patients should take treatment to repair impaired kidneys and improve renal function. Chinese medicines can help achieve this purpose. Suitable herbs will be chosen according to patients’ illness condition and micronized into powder. The medicines will be packaged into two medicated bags. Two bags will be placed on patients’ lower back and patients just need to lie on the bed to take this therapy. The active ingredients can come to kidney lesion directly and help expand blood vessels, prevent inflammation and coagulation, degrade extracellular matrix and provide necessary nutrients. The curative effects of Chinese medicines include repairing kidney damage, recovering kidney function and enhancing immunity. In this way, it is possible to reduce dialysis frequency and even get rid of dialysis. Constipation and other complications can be prevented fundamentally.