First line advice for reducing fluid in your diet

Transcription

1 First line advice for reducing fluid in your diet For kidney (renal) patients Information for patients Sheffield Dietetics

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3 Introduction This information booklet has been given to you to help you to reduce the amount of fluid that you drink and in your diet. What is fluid? Fluid is another word for the liquids we take into our bodies in the form of drinks, some of the foods we eat and some medications. The amount of fluid in the human body is controlled by the kidneys. What can happen if I drink too much fluid? When your kidneys do not work properly, they may eventually become less able to make urine. Since this is the way your body gets rid of excess fluid, you may find that your body begins to retain (hold on to) fluid. If you have too much fluid in your body, you may suffer from the following symptoms: becoming breathless, especially at night swollen ankles raised blood pressure coughing Excess fluid in your body puts extra strain on your heart which in turn will make it work harder. Increased blood pressure can increase the risk of a stroke. It is very important to restrict fluid to reduce the risk of developing these serious side effects. If you are retaining fluid you may notice that you weigh more. page 3 of 8

4 What should my fluid restriction be? Speak to your doctor, nurse or dietitian to find out how much fluid you should have each day. Some people may not need to follow a fluid restriction and others may find that the amount they should drink changes over time. Where does fluid come from? Drinks, for example; water, coffee, tea, soft drinks, milk and alcohol. Remember to count any drinks taken with tablets Milk added to cereals and porridge Gravy and sauces Soups and stews Custard, jelly, cream and ice cream How can I control my fluid intake? Use smaller cups and glasses Spread your drinks throughout the day Use boiled sweets, peppermints and chewing gum to moisten your mouth (sugar-free varieties if you have diabetes) Add margarine to vegetables and potatoes instead of gravy Add mint or apple sauce to meat instead of gravy page 4 of 8

5 How do I know how much I am drinking? You may find it useful to measure the fluids you are having. For example, you could measure how much milk you put on your cereal. It may be useful to measure your own cups, glasses and mugs at home as they can vary in volume. How can I control my thirst? Salt can make you thirsty and should be reduced. Speak to your dietitian, doctor or nurse if you would like an information sheet to help you with this. Rinse your mouth with a mouthwash Suck on lemon slices to stimulate saliva Ice cubes or ice lollies last longer so they are more satisfying than sips of water Use lip salve to moisten lips Which foods contain fluid? Foods, such as salads and other vegetables, fruit, pasta and rice, do contain water but these foods do not need to be restricted and should still be enjoyed as they are important parts of your diet. Most people will be able to control their fluid balance without changing the foods they eat. However, it is helpful to reduce the amount of "wet" foods you eat for example, gravy, soup, sauces and ice cream. These foods have a high fluid content. page 5 of 8

6 What happens next? You should be referred to a dietitian for further advice. This information was provided to give you some guidance until you have an appointment with a dietitian who will assess your fluid intake in detail. If you have any questions about fluid, please make a note of them and the dietitian will try to answer them when they see you. It is likely that you will see a dietitian at your next clinic visit or in the next few weeks if you are a haemodialysis patient. However, if you think that making these changes is too restrictive, or if you think your fluid intake is already low and you cannot make further changes, please contact the dietitians on: page 6 of 8

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8 Notes for nursing and medical staff This information booklet is to be used with patients who have a high fluid intake and are unable to be seen by a dietitian immediately. These patients should be referred to a renal dietitian for dietary assessment and individual advice. Patient s name:... This information has been given to you by:... Date:... Produced with support from Sheffield Hospitals Charity Working hard to fund improvements that make life better for patients and their families Please donate to help us do more Registered Charity No Alternative formats can be available on request. Please alternativeformats@sth.nhs.uk Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2016 Re-use of all or any part of this document is governed by copyright and the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005 SI 2005 No Information on re-use can be obtained from the Information Governance Department, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. infogov@sth.nhs.uk PD7641-PIL3089 v3 Issue Date: September Review Date: September 2018