What Is Potassium Levels In The Body – Potassium is both an electrolyte and a mineral. All muscles, including those that control heart rate and breathing, need potassium to function. We get potassium from the food we eat. The amount of potassium needed by the body is absorbed and the kidneys remove excess potassium from the blood. When the kidneys remove excess potassium from the blood, excess potassium builds up and this condition is called hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia is a dangerous condition and can lead to heart attack.

Symptoms Most people do not experience symptoms of hyperkalemia. The most common side effects when they do are fatigue, muscle weakness, nausea, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, and chest pain.

What Is Potassium Levels In The Body

The main cause of hyperkalemia is chronic kidney disease and acute kidney failure. When the kidneys are not working properly, they cannot remove excess potassium from the blood. Thus, instead of leaving the body through the urine, potassium is returned to the bloodstream. Over time, potassium levels in the blood increase. Other common causes of hyperkalemia are dehydration, uncontrolled diabetes, certain medications such as ACE inhibitors and beta blockers, certain injuries that cause excessive bleeding, and overuse of potassium supplements. The hormone aldosterone signals the kidneys to excrete potassium. Some diseases, such as Addison’s disease, decrease aldosterone production and cause hyperkalemia. Too much potassium in the diet can cause hyperkalemia. Treatment Treatment for hyperkalemia varies depending on the cause. Hyperkalemia is usually treated with diet and medication. Treatment of kidney disease is most important. Other treatments usually include a low-potassium diet, changing medications or stopping medications that cause hyperkalemia, and taking medications that lower potassium levels in the body. Medicines used to lower potassium levels are called potassium binders. It binds to potassium in the blood and prevents it from reabsorbing into the blood.

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Foods rich in potassium include bananas, oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, asparagus, brussels sprouts, beans, most meats, fish, and salt substitutes.

Hyperkalemia should not be treated because it can cause heart rhythm changes, which can be life-threatening. It can also cause paralysis.

Disclaimer: Information should never be construed as medical advice. Also, the above article does not endorse the research findings discussed in the article, nor does it endorse any of the original publications.

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What Causes High Potassium Levels

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This site uses cookies. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. If you continue to use our site, you agree to our cookies. OK? We didn’t think so. Like many other people, you probably underestimate the importance of potassium. When dissolved in water, this mineral becomes very reactive and produces positively charged ions. Due to its special ability to conduct electricity, which is essential for several body functions, potassium is classified as one of the five essential electrolytes.

Studies have linked increasing consumption of potassium-rich foods to a variety of health benefits. We’ll cover what potassium is, why we need potassium, how potassium works in the body, and common symptoms of potassium deficiency. Plus, we’ll share a list of 15 potassium-rich foods.

Potassium is the third most abundant mineral in the human body. Testing shows that the majority of the body’s potassium—about 98%—can be found in your cells. Your muscle cells require 80% of those potassium stores, with the remaining 20% ​​distributed between your bones, liver, and red blood cells.

Hyperkalemia: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

Potassium acts as an electrolyte in your body. When it dissolves in water or another liquid, it splits into positive ions that transmit electrical signals. Your body uses these signals to control several important processes.

Potassium is responsible for three main functions: balancing fluid levels, transmitting nerve signals and regulating muscle contraction. When potassium levels fall too low, or rise too high, the consequences can be very serious.

As adults, water makes up about 60% of our body weight. Water is present both inside and outside our cells: 40% inside our cells is called intracellular fluid (ICF), 60% is in places like the cells and spinal fluid, and the space between cells is called extracellular fluid (ECF). ).

Electrolytes – especially sodium and potassium – strongly affect the amount of water in your ICF and ECF. Potassium is the main electrolyte found in your ICF and it determines how much water is inside your cells. Sodium plays a similar role when it comes to your ECF.

Potassium Rich Foods

When everything is right, your cells have equal electrolytes and a stable amount of water inside and outside. The technical term for the ratio between electrolytes and fluid is osmolality. The goal is to maintain an equal osmolality between your ICF and ECF.

When osmolality is unbalanced, water moves from the side with less electrolytes to the side with more electrolytes to balance the electrolyte levels. When water enters or leaves your cells, it can cause the cells to swell or shrink. In some cases, your cells may even burst.

Regulation of fluid balance is a central health concern. As mentioned above, changes in cell volume can have a particularly detrimental effect on brain cells. When ECF levels drop, it can negatively affect blood flow to organs, including your heart.

Eating a potassium-rich diet is an important part of maintaining balanced fluid levels, along with ensuring that you drink enough water to stay properly hydrated.

Everything Is K: Here’s Why You Need To Include Potassium In Your Diet

Your nervous system processes the communication between your brain and your body. This communication, in the form of nerve signals, regulates muscle contraction, heart rhythm, reflexes, and many other functions.

Potassium plays a key role in nerve signal transmission. When potassium enters a nerve cell, it initiates a sodium-potassium exchange that releases the electrical charge needed to send a signal. And when it exits the nerve cell, it repeats it, allowing the nerve signal to be processed.

A healthy blood level range for potassium is between 3.6 and 5.0 mmol/L. If your blood potassium level drops by even 1%, it can set off a serious imbalance. This, in turn, can disrupt the transmission of nerve signals throughout your body.

To maintain healthy nervous system function, it is important to meet the body’s minimum recommended dietary allowance for potassium.

Foods High In Potassium For Heart Health

As mentioned above, muscle contraction is one of the functions of controlling nerve signals. Altered potassium levels negatively affect nerve signaling, which leads to muscle contractions, including heart rate.

Potassium is essential for muscle health, and we include 12 milligrams in sports performance to increase endurance and reduce post-exercise soreness.

Hypokalemia occurs when potassium levels fall too low. Hyperkalemia occurs when it is too high. Both can be dangerous.

The main risk associated with changes in potassium levels is changes in heart rhythm. Low potassium levels can lead to arrhythmias, irregular heartbeats that require medical attention and even surgery. High potassium levels can cause the heart to weaken and overstretch, which can also lead to arrhythmias. When your heart can’t beat properly, it also can’t pump blood to your brain, muscles, and other organs.

What Is Potassium And Why Do We Need It: 15 Foods High In Potassium

According to an article published in Experimental and Clinical Cardiology, “Hypokalemia is associated with an increased risk of arrhythmias in patients with cardiovascular disease, as well as an up to 10-fold increase in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and heart failure.” In other words, if you have heart problems, low potassium is 10 times more likely to cause it.

Hyperkalemia is also strongly associated with an increased risk of death for patients with heart disease and kidney disease, according to a 2017 study.

By now you understand how important it is to maintain your body’s potassium levels.

However, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), shows that less than 2% of US adults meet dietary guidelines for potassium intake. While this is certainly not ideal, it is unlikely that you are deficient in potassium.

What Does It Mean When Potassium Is High?

For many reasons, potassium deficiency occurs when the body rapidly loses potassium. Typical causes include prolonged vomiting, prolonged diarrhea, or other health conditions or situations that lead to significant loss.

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