Invisible Me Highlight: Hyperkalemia: Symptoms and Treatments If you have hyperkalemia, you have too much potassium in your blood. The body needs a delicate balance of potassium to help the heart and other muscles work properly. But too much potassium in your blood can lead to dangerous, and possibly deadly, changes in heart rhythm. Causes of Hyperkalemia Hyperkalemia -- high potassium in your blood -- may occur if your kidneys do not work properly and cannot remove potassium from your body or if your bodys cells release too much potassium. Kidney disease is the most common cause of hyperkalemia. Your kidneys help control the balance of potassium in your body. If they do not work properly, they cannot filter extra potassium from the blood or remove it from the body. A hormone called aldosterone tells the kidneys when to remove potassium -- as well as sodium. Diseases that decrease the production of this hormone, such as Addisons disease, can lead to hyperkalemia. Excess potassium in the diet can also contribute to increased levels in your blood, especially if there is an issue with kidney function. Salt substitutes typically contain high amounts of potassium. Foods such as melons, orange juice, and bananas are rich in potassium too.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 02:47:53 +0000
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