What is Hypokalemia?
Hypokalemia is a medical condition where the potassium level in the bloodstream is too low. Low levels of potassium can be detected via an ECG or electrocardiogram. Normal potassium levels are between 3.5 mmol/L and 5.0 mmol/L. You are said to have hypokalemia if your potassium level is below 3.5 mmol/L. Mild hypokalemia can be managed with changes in diet. Severe hypokalemia occurs when your potassium level is below 2.5 mmol/L, which can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention. Potassium is an important mineral and electrolyte for the normal functioning of muscle and nerve cells in the body. Your body requires potassium for the normal contraction of muscle cells, especially in the heart. Even the slightest alteration of the potassium level can adversely affect your nerves, muscles, and heart. Potassium helps to regulate your heartbeat and helps your heart muscles to regulate blood pressure. If you have low potassium levels, you have a higher risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, including cardiac arrest and bradycardia.
Signs and symptoms of low potassium level
The signs and symptoms of low potassium levels are not specific and are usually related to cardiac or muscular function.
The following are the common signs and symptoms of low potassium levels.
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle aches
- Polyuria
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Heart palpitations
- Psychological signs like depression or hallucinations
Severe low potassium can be life-threatening leading to symptoms of ileus, respiratory failure, paralysis, and muscle tissue breakdown. In some cases, severe hypokalemia may result in hyporeflexia and flaccid paralysis. Other signs and symptoms of low potassium levels include vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite. If you notice any of the symptoms of hypokalemia, you should call your doctor or visit a hospital immediately.
Hypokalemia causes
There are many factors that can cause hypokalemia. Your body can lose excess potassium through bowel movements, sweat, or urine. If you do not consume enough potassium, or you have a low magnesium level, it may result in low potassium or hypokalemia. Diarrhea and laxative abuse, as well as the use of medications such as diuretics, are some of the main causes of hypokalemia. Your risk of getting low potassium increases when you use certain types of drugs like diuretics, which leads to loss of potassium. Also, using higher doses of drugs like penicillin, or taking beta 2 agonists to treat asthma, increases your risk of developing hypokalemia. There are also certain types of medical conditions that increase your risk of low potassium. If you have Bartter syndrome, which is a rare kidney problem that results in potassium and salt imbalance, it can lead to hypokalemia. Liddle syndrome is another rare medical disorder that causes hypokalemia.
Other medical conditions that can cause low potassium levels include:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Magnesium deficiency
- Malnutrition
- Familial hypokalemia
- Cushing syndrome is a rare medical condition that occurs as a result of cortisol exposure.
- Gitelman syndrome is a rare disorder of the kidney that results in an ion imbalance in the body.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis, is a serious medical condition that occurs when there is insufficient insulin in the body. As a result, glucose cannot enter the body’s cells to be used for energy, so the body starts breaking down fat for energy instead. This might sound Hypokalemia occurs during the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis, where the fluids and insulin used, cause your potassium level to fall too low.
Here are 12 of the best food sources of potassium:
(Percentages based on the recommended daily value of 4,700 milligrams for adult men and women.)
- White Beans (4) — 1 cup cooked: 1,004 milligrams
- Lima Beans (5) — 1 cup cooked: 955 milligrams
- Avocado (6) — 1 whole: 690 milligrams
- Broccoli (7) — 1 cup cooked: 458 milligrams
- Sweet Potato (8) — 1 medium: 438 milligrams
- Bananas (9) — 1 medium: 422 milligrams
- Salmon (10) — 3 ounces: 416 milligrams
- Peas (11) — 1 cup cooked: 384 milligrams
- Sardines (12) — 1 can/3.75 grams: 365 milligrams
- Grapefruit (13) — 1 whole: 354 milligrams
- Raw Milk (14) — 1 cup: 260 milligrams
- Grass-Fed Beef (15) — 3 ounces: 237 milligrams
Potassium is an important electrolyte and the third most abundant mineral in the body. Potassium is the main compound that interacts with sodium to perform a number of important functions every single day, especially balancing fluids and mineral levels within the body. It’s why having low potassium levels can be so dangerous.
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Treatment
Before you begin treatment for hypokalemia, your doctor will have to carry out a few tests. These tests will help your doctor rule out other possible medical conditions like Cushing syndrome and renal tubular acidosis. Usually, hypokalemia is diagnosed through urine and blood tests that are used to check for mineral levels such as potassium and vitamins. Your doctor may also perform an ECG test to detect irregular heart rhythms that may occur because of low potassium. If you are diagnosed with hypokalemia, you may be required to be admitted to a hospital. While in the hospital, your doctor may treat underlying causes such as vomiting or diarrhea. You may be prescribed to take potassium supplements to help normalize your potassium levels. In case of severely low potassium levels, intravenous replacement may be required. During your treatment, your doctor may need to monitor your potassium levels to avoid it falling again. While you are at home, you can manage low potassium level by avoiding diuretics or laxatives that result in hypokalemia. Your doctor may prescribe you potassium supplements and follow a potassium-rich diet as part of your treatment.
Source and Images: https://www.canadianinsulin.com, https://draxe.com/nutrition/low-potassium