what does high potassium levels do to your body

Hyperkalemia (High Potassium)

People with hyperkalemia have loftier potassium levels in their claret. Signs like fatigue and muscle weakness are easy to dismiss. A low-potassium diet and medication changes often bring potassium numbers to a rubber level. An extremely loftier potassium level can cause a eye assail and requires firsthand medical care.

Overview

What is hyperkalemia (high potassium)?

Hyperkalemia occurs when potassium levels in your blood get too loftier. Potassium is an essential nutrient constitute in foods. This nutrient helps your nerves and muscles function. Merely as well much potassium in your blood tin damage your eye and cause a heart attack. Y'all can't always tell when your potassium levels are high.

What is a rubber or normal potassium level?

A typical potassium level for an adult falls betwixt 3.5 and 5.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/50). Hyperkalemia occurs when levels go above 5.five mmol/L. A reading in a higher place 6.5 mmol/Fifty can cause heart problems that require immediate medical attention.

Who might take hyperkalemia (loftier potassium)?

Anyone can become hyperkalemia, fifty-fifty children. You may be more at risk if y'all accept:

Addison's disease.
Booze utilise disorder (alcoholism).
Burns over a large part of your body.
Congestive heart failure.
Diabetes.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Kidney disease.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes hyperkalemia (high potassium)?

Your kidneys filter potassium from the foods and drinks you lot eat. Your body gets rid of excess potassium when you lot pee. With hyperkalemia, your body has too much potassium for your kidneys to remove. As a result, potassium builds upwards in your blood.

In addition to weather condition like kidney disease, these factors besides contribute to hyperkalemia:

A high-potassium nutrition, which can result from potassium supplements and common salt substitutes.
Medications that comprise potassium, such as sure loftier blood pressure medicines.

What are the symptoms of hyperkalemia (high potassium)?

Many people with mild hyperkalemia accept no signs or ones that are easy to dismiss. Symptoms often come up and go and may come on gradually over weeks or months. Dangerously high potassium levels touch on the heart and cause a sudden onset of life-threatening bug. Hyperkalemia symptoms include:

Intestinal (belly) pain and diarrhea.
Chest hurting.
Center palpitations or arrhythmia (irregular, fast or fluttering heartbeat).
Musculus weakness or numbness in limbs.
Nausea and vomiting.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is hyperkalemia (high potassium) diagnosed?

Because about people don't take symptoms, you might non know you accept high potassium until y'all get a routine blood test. A serum potassium test measures potassium levels in blood. Your healthcare provider may also order an electrocardiogram (EKG). This exam shows changes in heart rhythm caused by hyperkalemia.

Management and Treatment

What are the complications of hyperkalemia (high potassium)?

Astringent hyperkalemia can come on of a sudden. Information technology can cause life-threatening heart rhythm changes (arrhythmia) that crusade a heart attack. Fifty-fifty mild hyperkalemia can harm your heart over time if you don't go treatment.

How is hyperkalemia (high potassium) managed or treated?

Treatment varies depending on the potassium level. Options include:

Diuretics: Also called water pills, these drugs make y'all pee more oft. Your trunk gets rid of potassium mainly in urine.
Intravenous (IV) therapy: Extremely high potassium levels need immediate treatment. You'll receive an Iv infusion of calcium to protect your heart. Next, you get an infusion of insulin that helps move potassium into the claret cells. Yous may likewise inhale an asthma medication chosen albuterol to further lower potassium levels.
Medication management: Many people run across comeback subsequently stopping or changing certain claret pressure medications or other drugs that heighten potassium levels. Your healthcare provider can determine what medication changes to make.
Potassium binders: A daily medication binds to backlog potassium in the intestines. You pass the potassium when yous poop. Your provider may recommend binders if other treatments don't lower potassium levels. Potassium binders come up in oral and enema grade.
Dialysis: If potassium levels remain loftier, or you feel kidney failure, you may demand dialysis. This handling helps your kidneys remove excess potassium from blood.

Prevention

How can I forbid hyperkalemia (high potassium)?

If you've had hyperkalemia or are at risk for it, a low-potassium nutrition is the all-time way to protect your health. You lot may need to cut dorsum on, or completely cut out, certain high-potassium foods, such as:

Asparagus.
Avocados.
Bananas.
Citrus fruits and juices, such as oranges and grapefruit.
Cooked spinach.
Melons similar honeydew and cantaloupe.
Nectarines.
Potatoes.
Prunes, raisins and other dried fruits.
Pumpkin and winter squash.
Salt substitutes that contain potassium.
Tomatoes and tomato plant-based products like sauces and ketchup.

Outlook / Prognosis

What is the prognosis (outlook) for people who take hyperkalemia (high potassium)?

Changes to your diet and medication oft resolve mild cases of hyperkalemia. With the right care, most people don't have long-term complications from hyperkalemia. Your healthcare provider may order more than frequent blood tests to ensure your potassium levels stay inside a salubrious range.

Living With

When should I call the doctor?

You should call your healthcare provider if yous experience:

Difficulty breathing.
Extreme muscle weakness or fatigue.
Severe abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea.
Weak pulse, chest pain or signs of a heart attack.

What questions should I ask my doc?

If you have hyperkalemia (high potassium), you may want to ask your healthcare provider:

Why did I go hyperkalemia?
How frequently should I get claret tests to check for hyperkalemia?
How much potassium should I go in my daily nutrition?
What foods or supplements should I avoid?
What, if any, salt substitutes can I use?
What are the treatment risks and side furnishings?
Am I at adventure for kidney failure or other issues due to hyperkalemia?
What follow-upward care practise I need afterwards treatment?
Should I wait out for signs of complications?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Because hyperkalemia rarely causes symptoms, you lot may be surprised when a blood test shows that your potassium levels are high. A low-potassium diet can protect your wellness. Your healthcare provider tin can determine how much potassium y'all need or connect you with a dietitian, if needed. A dietitian tin help y'all create meal plans that ensure you get just the right corporeality of potassium in your diet. Your provider may also change your medications. Potassium levels that attain a dangerously high level can be life-threatening. If you're at risk for hyperkalemia, your provider will closely monitor your potassium levels.

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Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15184-hyperkalemia-high-blood-potassium#:~:text=Dangerously%20high%20potassium%20levels%20affect,Chest%20pain.