Menu
One of the most commonly asked questions, especially among first-time dialysis patients, is, “Will Dialysis Hurt?”
If you’re reading this article, you likely already know about the process of dialysis. Due to poor kidney function, your blood is not getting properly filtered and toxins are building up in the body. So, dialysis is a method of manually draining your blood from your body and passing it through dialysis or a filtering machine.
This process shouldn’t hurt at all. The dialysis process is gradual, usually taking several hours, as your blood is filtered and returned to your body.
The most “traditional” form of dialysis is hemodialysis, where blood is drawn from a surgically implanted portal (usually in the arm), filtered, and then returned. This process shouldn’t hurt. The most painful part of the experience is often the pinching sensation you’ll experience as the needle is inserted into your arm through the portal.
After that, dialysis is simply a matter of fighting boredom for the next few hours until the process is finished. You may feel a little strange during the process, possibly experiencing sickness, dizziness, or even muscle cramps. These sensations can be worse during your first few dialysis sessions.
Another form of dialysis is peritoneal dialysis, where blood is filtered through the membrane of the abdomen through a catheter. Like hemodialysis, this shouldn’t hurt at all.
However, you might experience strange sensations. Peritoneal dialysis works by filtering your blood through dialysis fluid, which is stored in the abdominal cavity. Once again, this shouldn’t be painful at all, but it’s natural that the feeling of fluid in your abdominal cavity might feel strange.
Nocturnal dialysis (peritoneal dialysis) should allow you to sleep peacefully during the process.
It’s important to notice the distinction between discomfort and real pain. While you might experience unfamiliar sensations during your dialysis procedure, it shouldn’t cause actual pain.
If you notice sharp pains, continuous or repeating pain, sickness, dizziness, or abdominal cramps during or after your dialysis sessions, speak to a medical professional. These sensations could be due to the speed or method of dialysis.
It’s important to listen to your body during dialysis. Pain is the body’s way of letting us know that something’s wrong. While some medical procedures do hurt, dialysis is definitely not one of them, regardless of what kind of dialysis you use.
