Doctor Ho Tan Thong, from the Internal Medicine - Dialysis Unit at Tam Anh General Clinic District 7, advises kidney patients, especially those undergoing dialysis, to prepare thoroughly if they plan to travel during holidays. Neglecting diet, daily routines, or interrupting treatment can lead to complications such as fluid overload, electrolyte imbalance, high blood pressure, or emergency hospitalization. The doctor outlines four important considerations for patients to ensure their health.
Nutritional Management
Diet is a key part of a kidney patient's treatment plan. Special attention should be paid to sodium management because, with impaired kidney function, the body's ability to excrete sodium is reduced, leading to fluid retention, swelling, high blood pressure, and increased strain on the heart. When traveling, patients must maintain a suitable diet, especially limiting salt (sodium). Grilled dishes, hotpots, dipping sauces, and pickled foods often contain high sodium levels.
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Doctor Thong examines a patient. Photo: Tam Anh General Clinic District 7 |
Elevated potassium can cause heart rhythm disturbances, even cardiac arrest. Patients should limit coconut water, bananas, oranges, fruit juices, dried fruits, and nuts. Instead, they should eat small amounts of fresh fruit, avoiding juicing as it increases rapid potassium absorption. It is also important to limit meat, milk, cheese, organ meats, and processed foods due to their high phosphorus and protein content, which can negatively affect health.
Appropriate Hydration
Patients should consult their doctor about their daily fluid intake. According to Doctor Thong, the fluid amount is usually calculated as: 24-hour urine output plus 500 ml. In hot weather, patients need to distribute their water intake throughout the day, avoiding drinking too much at once.
Treatment Adherence
Patients undergoing regular hemodialysis who miss or delay their sessions risk hyperkalemia, fluid overload, and metabolic acidosis. These patients should contact medical facilities at their travel destination in advance to arrange regular dialysis sessions as scheduled by their treating doctor.
For patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, the biggest risk if treatment is interrupted is infection. When traveling, it is crucial to ensure a clean environment for fluid exchanges, carry enough dialysis solution and supplies, and maintain absolute sterility.
Patients receiving medical treatment must bring enough medication and take it on time, even when crossing time zones. They should never arbitrarily stop blood pressure medication, diuretics, or phosphate binders.
Moderate Physical Activity
Maintaining light physical activity helps improve circulation. However, patients should avoid prolonged outdoor activities in the sun, which can easily cause dehydration or exhaustion. Avoiding staying up late is also important, as lack of sleep can elevate blood pressure and disrupt hormones, indirectly impacting kidney health.
Doctor Thong advises patients to check and save contact numbers for medical facilities near their travel destination. During the trip, if symptoms such as shortness of breath, severe fatigue, rapid swelling, chest pain, palpitations, nausea, unusually low urine output, fever, or abdominal pain appear, they should go to the nearest hospital immediately. Patients should always carry their medical records, current medications, and their treating doctor's phone number for convenience in all situations.
Dinh Lam
