Potassium

Potassium: What is it and how does it affect your body?

Potassium is a mineral found within your body.

Potassium is crucial to heart function and plays an important role in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, which is vital to normal digestive and muscular functions.

It also plays an essential role in the response of nerves to stimulation and in the contraction of muscles. Cellular enzymes need potassium to function properly.

Potassium is also an electrolyte, and is necessary to keep a normal water balance between the cells and body fluids. Your kidneys control the excretion of potassium through your urine. Most of the potassium in your body can be found within your cells, Though it can also be found in the liquid part of your blood (plasma or serum)

What causes high Potassium in your body?

High Potassium, also known as hyperkalemia, can occur in many ways. The most common cause of high potassium is impaired kidney function. This can be caused acute or chronic kidney failure.

Other causes of high hyperkalemia include:

• Addison's disease (adrenal failure) which is one of many hormone deficiencies

• Overuse of potassium supplements

• Rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle fibers that end in the release of potassium into the bloodstream which is caused by alcoholism and heavy drug use

• Certain medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors

• Severe burns or injuries that result in the destruction of red blood cells

Hyperkalemia is a serious and can become a life-threatening disorder. It can cause:

• Weakness

• Muscle fatigue

• Paralysis

• Arrhythmias (Abnormal heart rhythms)

• Nausea

What causes low Potassium in your body?

Low potassium, also known as Hypokalemia, can also occur in many ways. The most common cause of low potassium is an excessive amount of potassium being lost through urine or from the gastrointestinal tract.

The ways Hypokalemia can occur...