Common signs and symptoms of potassium deficiency include weakness and fatigue, muscle cramps, muscle aches and stiffness, tingles and numbness, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, digestive symptoms, and changes in blood pressure. If you think you're deficient, contact a healthcare professional.
Abnormal blood levels of electrolytes, such as calcium, magnesium, or even potassium, can develop muscle cramps. Although low potassium blood levels occasionally cause true muscle cramps, high potassium blood levels also cause muscle cramps.
A low potassium level can make muscles feel weak, cramp, twitch, or even become paralyzed, and abnormal heart rhythms may develop. The diagnosis is based on blood tests to measure the potassium level. Usually, eating foods rich in potassium or taking potassium supplements by mouth is all that is needed.
Can low potassium cause joint pain? Potassium deficiency can cause muscle cramps, aches, and stiffness.
The kidney is the main organ that controls the balance of potassium by removing excess potassium into the urine. When potassium levels are low (hypokalemia), you can become weak as cellular processes are impaired.
If you're low on potassium, you can get muscle weakness and cramps. Your most important muscle, your heart, needs potassium. It helps cells send the right electrical signals so that the heart pumps correctly.
Vomiting, diarrhea or both also can result in excessive potassium loss from the digestive tract. Occasionally, low potassium is caused by not getting enough potassium in your diet. In most cases, low potassium is found by a blood test that is done because of an illness, or because you are taking diuretics.
Adults should consume about 3,500mg of potassium per day, according to the UK's National Health Service. The average banana, weighing 125g, contains 450mg of potassium, meaning a healthy person can consume at least seven-and-half bananas before reaching the recommended level.
Low potassium (hypokalemia) has many causes. The most common cause is excessive potassium loss in urine due to prescription medications that increase urination. Also known as water pills or diuretics, these types of medications are often prescribed for people who have high blood pressure or heart disease.
Someone who has hypokalemia and shows symptoms will need hospitalization. They will also require heart monitoring to make sure their heart rhythm is normal. Treating low potassium levels in the hospital requires a multi-step approach: 1.
There are limited or no options for at-home kits to test potassium levels. If you are prescribed a 24-hour urine test, you will need to collect your urine wherever you are during the day, including at home. However, this testing is still prescribed by your doctor rather than sold as a separate at-home test kit.
Potassium is needed for muscle contraction, communication between muscles and nerves, and overall muscular function. Since muscles are found throughout your body, including your arms, legs and respiratory and digestive tracts, a diet low in potassium can contribute to fatigue and digestive troubles.
It is critical to the proper functioning of nerve and muscles cells, particularly heart muscle cells. Normally, your blood potassium level is 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). A very low potassium level (less than 2.5 mmol/L ) can be life-threatening and requires urgent medical attention.
Very low levels of potassium in the body can lead to irregular heart rhythms, including sinus bradycardia, ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. If a person does not receive treatment, these conditions can be life-threatening. Doctors can detect irregular heart rhythms using an electrocardiogram (EKG).
Typical patients with hypokalemia have required a mean of 5 days for return of their serum potassium levels to normal (12,13).
If high potassium happens suddenly and you have very high levels, you may feel heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, or vomiting. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical care. If you have these symptoms, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
In the logistic regression model, 1 mEq/L of lower potassium level was significantly associated with a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke with an odds ratio of 3.31 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.24–5.04).
Weakness or light-headedness: Low levels of potassium can leave you feeling dizzy, faint or light-headed. Low potassium levels can slow your heartbeat, too, which can result in fainting.