Can dialysis cause skin problem? Some patients complaint that they are suffering from skin problems during dialysis, including itching skin and dry skin . Are they caused by dialysis? Then how to relieve them?

Itching skin.

Many patients who are on dialysis will experience itching skin at some point. It can be local or it can spread the whole body. Then what are the causes of itching skin?

The common cause is the high level of serum phosphorus. The normal kidneys are responsible to keep the electrolyte in balance. Since the kidneys are damaged, there will be accumulated electrolyte in blood, resulting in high phosphorus level, while dialysis cannot remove all the extra phosphorus out.

It can also be a reaction of allergies. If you notice itch at the beginning of the dialysis, you may be an reaction of allergy to the blood tubing or the dialyzer.

There are some tips that you should know.

-If you have itchy skin, try not to scratch and prevent breaking the skin.

-Keep the skin clean to prevent infection.

-Pay attention to your diet and avoid high phosphorus foods.

-Keep the doctor knowing your condition.

Dry skin.

Dry skin is easily occur in patients with kidney failure, especially those who are on dialysis. In kidney failure, the oil gland cannot secret enough oil to keep water in skin. The water loss during dialysis will worsen the condition of dry skin.

Things that you should keep in mind are as follow:

-Do not take hot shower for it will make dry skin more serious.

- Smear moisturizing and high-water content cream on the skin right after bathing.

-Avoid creams which contains alcohol.

Itching skin and dry skin are the two common skin problems of patients who are on dialysis. Before you take some methods, you should consult your doctor or you can send an email to renal-disease@hotmail.com for better solutions!