Definition

A medical treatment that cleans the blood by removing waste and toxins when the kidneys are not working properly.

Example

Patients with kidney failure often require hemodialysis to stay healthy.

Conversation

I heard that my uncle has to go through hemodialysis twice a week now.

Oh no, I hope he’s doing okay with that.

Yeah, it's been tough on him, but he’s trying to stay positive.

That’s good to hear. I’ve read it can really help improve quality of life.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hemodialysis is formed from "hemo-" (from Greek "haima", meaning blood) and "dialysis" (from Greek "dialusis", meaning a loosening or separation). The term refers to the process of separating waste from the blood, effectively cleansing it.

Memory Tip

Think of 'blood' ('hemo-') being 'separated' ('dialysis') to remember that hemodialysis is a process that cleanses the blood.

Visually Confused Words