Potassium is one of the important nutrients for the body, because it maintains the health of the heart, nerves, and muscles, and when exposed to a high rate, the chances of developing diseases increase, and during this report we will learn about the high level of potassium in the blood, according to the website “medicinenet“.
There are two types of high potassium in the blood, mild and more severe, and this type is dangerous because it increases the chances of heart attacks and death.
How does hyperkalemia affect the body?
Potassium is one of the elements necessary for the normal functioning of the muscles, heart and nerves, and plays an important role in controlling the activity of smooth muscles such as the muscles in the digestive system and skeletal muscles, that is, the muscles of the limbs and trunk, as well as the muscles of the heart, and it is also important for the normal transmission of electrical signals throughout The nervous system inside the body.
Normal blood potassium levels are necessary to maintain the heart’s electrical rhythm, and both low and high blood potassium levels can lead to an arrhythmia.
Another important effect of hyperkalemia is to interfere with the functioning of the skeletal muscles, which may cause muscle paralysis.
There are some symptoms that explain the reality of hyperkalemia, including nausea, feeling very tired, muscle weakness, tingling sensation, very high heart rate, weak pulse, and may cause the heart to stop.
The report emphasized that the main cause of exposure to hyperkalemia is impaired renal function and adrenal gland disease.
Hyperkalemia is treated with these tips:
1- Follow a low potassium diet.
2- Stop taking medications that increase potassium levels in the blood.
3- Intravenous administration of glucose and insulin, which enhances the movement of potassium.
4- Giving sodium bicarbonate to counteract acidosis and to enhance the movement of potassium from the extracellular space into the cells.
5- Diuretics to reduce potassium stores in the kidneys.
