Hyperkalemia & Hypokalemia

What is Potassium?

Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that is found in most foods. Your body needs it for many things, so it is important to keep potassium at a healthy level in your body. Having too much or too little potassium is very serious and can even be deadly if not treated.

Potassium plays an important role in helping your muscles expand and contract. Your heart is a muscle, so when your body’s potassium is at a healthy level, it helps your heart beat the right way.

Most foods have potassium, but some foods, such as bananas, have more than others.

Foods that are high in potassium include:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Beans

• Nuts

• Dairy

• Fish and red meat

If you have kidney disease, your doctor may have said that you need to lower the amount of potassium in your diet.

What is high potassium (hyperkalemia)?

High potassium is called hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia is a chronic condition, meaning it is long-lasting. If you have kidney disease, you are at risk for high potassium.

Here is how this works: Your kidneys cannot remove the extra potassium in your blood. Instead of leaving your body through your urine, the extra potassium in your blood travels through your kidneys and back into your bloodstream. Over time, more and more potassium can build up in your blood.  Having too much potassium in your blood can be dangerous. High potassium can even cause a heart attack or death! This is why managing high potassium is important.

Symptoms of high potassium

Unfortunately, many people do not feel symptoms of high potassium until it is too late, and their heart health worsens.

If you do feel symptoms, some of the most common are:

• Feeling tired or weak

• Feeling sick to your stomach (Nausea)

• Muscle pains or cramps

• Trouble breathing, unusual heartbeat, chest pains

What is hypokalemia?

Hypokalemia is when the amount of potassium in your blood is too low. Normal levels of potassium for an adult range from 3.5 to 5.2 mEq/L (3.5 to 5.2 mmol/L). Anything lower than 3 mEq/L (3 mmol/L) may be considered severe hypokalemia.

Potassium is an electrolyte. Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electric charge when they’re dissolved in your bodily fluids. Your body needs potassium for your cells, muscles and nerves to function correctly. Your body gets potassium through the food you eat. Your kidneys remove excess potassium through your urine (pee) to keep a proper balance of the mineral in your body.

What causes low potassium (hypokalemia) ?

Low blood potassium typically occurs because of an excessive loss of potassium in your digestive tract. This may be due to frequent vomiting, diarrhea or laxative use.

Other causes of hypokalemia include:

• Eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa.

• Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis).

• Alcohol use disorder.

• Water pills (diuretics). Diuretics can cause too much potassium to be expelled through your pee (urine).

• Other medications such as insulin, certain antibiotics and corticosteroids.

• Adrenal disorders, such as primary aldosteronism and Cushing’s syndrome.

• Chronic kidney disease.

• Low magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia).

• Certain kidney conditions, such as Bartter’s syndrome and Gitelman syndrome. Both are rare genetic kidney disorders that cause imbalances in your body.

• Other conditions such as Liddle syndrome, a rare disorder that causes increased blood pressure.

• Rarely, not getting enough potassium due to a poor diet.

What are the symptoms of hypokalemia?

Mild cases of low potassium may not cause any symptoms, but can include

• Constipation.

• Heart palpitations.

• Extreme tiredness (fatigue).

• Muscle weakness and spasms.

• Tingling and numbness.

• More severe cases of low potassium may cause signs and symptoms such as:

• Muscle twitches.

• Muscle cramps.

• Severe muscle weakness, leading to paralysis.

• Low blood pressure (hypotension).

• Lightheadedness or faintness.

• Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

• Excessive urination (polyuria).

• Excessive thirst (polydipsia).