The body needs potassium to function. The mineral potassium also functions as an electrolyte. It facilitates the contraction of several muscles, including those that regulate breathing and heart rate. Your diet is the primary source of potassium. The potassium your body requires is used by it. Your kidneys excrete any excess potassium in your blood. Too much potassium may build up in the blood when the kidneys aren’t working properly, which happens in people with renal disease.
Hyperkalaemia, sometimes known as excessive potassium, occurs when the blood potassium level is too high. It is risky to have excessively high blood potassium levels. A fatal heart attack or stroke may be caused by Hyperkalaemia! Many individuals don’t notice hyperkalaemia signs until their heart health has already deteriorated.
What is Hyperkalaemia?
Potassium is an essential cofactor in many metabolic processes and is abundant in cells’ intracellular volume and intracellular osmolarity. Neurones and other excitable tissues have their resting membrane potentials determined by the ratio of intracellular to extracellular potassium concentrations. Several factors influence the amounts of potassium in the blood and other bodily fluids, one of which is acid-base balance. For instance, potassium is expelled from the cell in acidosis, while it is introduced in alkalosis.
Potassium is a crucial electrolyte for properly functioning neurones and muscle cells, particularly those in the heart. Because the kidneys regulate potassium levels, excess potassium may be eliminated from the body via urine or perspiration. While enough potassium intake is essential for good health, excessive potassium consumption may have the opposite effect. Excess potassium is normally excreted from the body via the kidneys, which helps to maintain an ideal potassium balance.
Overly high potassium levels in the bloodstream may occur due to several factors. Patients with moderate to severe Hyperkalaemia should not delay seeking medical attention to prevent complications. Hyperkalaemia happens when the kidneys aren’t working as they should.
How does Hyperkalaemia happen?
Some drugs, diseases of the adrenal glands or kidneys, and even some medical treatments may lead to excess potassium in the blood. Another potential cause of Hyperkalaemia is potassium leaking out of cells and entering the bloodstream. Potassium is primarily present inside cells and is only minutely distributed throughout the bloodstream.
The amount of potassium in the body may stay the same. Still, the detected potassium level in the blood may increase due to several disorders that cause high potassium treatment to seep out of cells and into circulation. Potassium loss from cells into the bloodstream causes diabetic ketoacidosis. People who have type 2 diabetes are at risk for this.
Likewise, the release of potassium by injured cells may raise blood potassium levels in any situation involving substantial tissue death. Potassium levels might also be elevated by some traumas. Extra potassium is released into the bloodstream by these cells in the body. Damage to many muscle cells, such as burns or crush injuries, may lead to these outcomes.
- A distressing incident
- A fire
- Medical procedures, including surgery,
One sort of cell death is rhabdomyolysis, which may happen to tumour cells or RBCs. Also, since it’s not always easy to draw blood through veins for testing, the red blood cells can be damaged and leak potassium into the serum, which would make the hyperkalaemia result seem more severe than it is. Kidney failure is the leading cause of potassium overload.
Renal failure or impaired function prevents the body from excreting excess potassium, which can lead to potassium buildup. Hyperkalaemia treated with insulin is associated with serious and common side effects. This leads to the conclusion that patients with CKD or ESRD may have a reduced risk of hypoglycemia when treating Hyperkalaemia if five units of intravenous regular insulin are administered instead of ten units of insulin.
Because the kidneys excrete extra potassium via urine, Hyperkalaemia may be induced by any disorder hindering renal function. This leads to the diagnosis of an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) or elevated blood potassium levels.
Criteria for Formulating a Strategy
How quickly Hyperkalaemia has arisen, the total quantity of potassium in the blood, and the signs of toxicity affect how aggressively it is treated. Ignoring any irregularities in the electrocardiogram, let’s pretend that the patient’s potassium level is slightly increased. In such instances, diuretics or cation exchange resin may increase excretion, and the cause of the excess potassium—either overconsumption or impaired excretion—can be addressed.
How may a potassium deficit be treated?
Both dietary changes and pharmaceutical interventions may alleviate Hyperkalaemia.
Potassium binder
When potassium levels are too high, a patient may be prescribed a potassium binder. A potassium binder blocks the body’s potassium stores from entering the bloodstream by binding to the potassium already there. This means that your blood potassium levels won’t go too high. The drug is available in powder form, which, when mixed with water, may be swallowed. Talk to your doctor to find out whether potassium binders suit you.
Include foods high in potassium in your diet.
If your potassium level is high, your doctor may suggest cutting down on potassium-rich foods. For advice on how much potassium to consume and how to monitor your intake, go to your doctor or a nutritionist. If your nutritionist suggests it, you may replace low-potassium meals with high-potassium ones. Here are some steps to keep your potassium level healthy:
- Because of their high potassium content, salt substitutes should be avoided.
- Drinks should not be overlooked. Citrus and tomato juices, among others, are rich sources of potassium, and coconut water is one of many beverages that contain potassium.
- Be careful with the serving sizes. Always use measuring cups and spoons to ensure you know exactly how much of everything you’re consuming.
- Remember that you may get double the recommended daily potassium intake from only two servings of foods high in potassium.
Acute and chronic forms of Hyperkalaemia need different treatments. Dialysis is a quick and effective therapy for acute Hyperkalaemia, which is more severe and life-threatening than chronic Hyperkalaemia.
Hyperkalaemia is more common in some populations. The risk of Hyperkalaemia might be increased by being older or male. Another risk factor for Hyperkalaemia includes a history of renal illness, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or a previous heart attack. The first step in preventing Hyperkalaemia and finding an appropriate therapy is to talk to a doctor.
