Hypokalemia (low potassium levels in the blood)

Hypokalemia (low potassium levels in the blood)

Hypokalemia (low potassium levels in the blood)

Hypokalemia (low potassium levels within the blood) is often a overuse injury in how the concentration of potassium in the blood is under 3.8 mEq / L of blood.

CAUSE

Normal renal potassium may hold nicely.

If the concentration is not enought blood potassium, usually brought on by the kidneys will not be functioning normally or overmuch potassium is lost from the alimentary canal (on account of diarrhea, vomiting, use of laxatives in a number of years or colon polyps).

Hypokalemia is rarely a result of intake is less because potassium is situated in everyday foods.

Potassium could be lost with the urine for several reasons.

The most prevalent is because of the application of certain diuretics that creates the kidneys eliminate sodium, potassium and water in excessive amounts.

At Cushing syndrome, adrenal glands produce a lot of corticosteroid hormones including aldosterone.

Aldosterone is really a hormone that produces the kidneys to excrete potassium in huge numbers.

The kidneys also secrete a lot of potassium in people that consume considerable amounts of cinnamon or some chewing tobacco.

Patients with Liddle's syndrome, Bartter syndrome and Fanconi syndrome are born with congenital renal disorder the location where the kidneys to retain potassium mechanisms disrupted.

Certain drugs such as insulin and asthma medication (albuterol, terbutaline and theophylline), increasing displacement of potassium in to the cell and lead to hypokalemia.

But the by using these drugs is rarely a single cause hypokalemia.

SYMPTOMS

Mild hypokalemia usually causes no symptoms in any respect.

More dangerous hypokalemia (less than 3 mEq / L of blood) could cause muscle weakness, muscle spasms and in many cases paralysis.

Abnormal heart rhythms, particularly in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis manufactured good link between blood tests and symptoms.

TREATMENT

Potassium can usually easily be replaced by eating meals that contain a lot of potassium or by consuming potassium salt (potassium muriate) by mouth.

Potassium can irritate this tract, it's the same given in small doses, many times a day.

The majority of people having diuretics doesn't need extra potassium.

Nevertheless it can be achieved periodically re-study of the blood potassium concentration to ensure that dosage might be changed if required.

On severe hypokalemia, potassium could be administered intravenously.

This is done with great care and is also usually only designed in hospitals, to avoid the rise potassium levels are far too high.