Hyperkalemia (High Potassium)

High potassium (called “hyperkalemia”) is a medical problem in which you have too much potassium in your blood. Your body needs potassium. It is an important nutrient that is found in many of the foods you eat. Potassium helps your nerves and muscles, including your heart, work the right way. But too much potassium in your blood can be dangerous. It can cause serious heart problems.

Causes

• Kidney Disease. Hyperkalemia can happen if your kidneys do not work well. It is the job of the kidneys to balance the amount of potassium taken in with the amount lost in urine. Potassium is taken in through the foods you eat and the liquids you drink. It is filtered by the kidneys and lost through the urine. In the early stages of kidney disease, the kidneys can often make up for high potassium. But as kidney function gets worse, they may not be able to remove enough potassium from your body. Advanced kidney disease is a common cause of hyperkalemia.
• A diet high in potassium. Eating too much food that is high in potassium can also cause hyperkalemia, especially in people with advanced kidney disease. Foods such as cantaloupe, honeydew melon, orange juice, and bananas are high in potassium.
• Drugs that prevent the kidneys from losing enough potassium. Some drugs can keep your kidneys from removing enough potassium. This can cause your potassium levels to rise.
• Taking extra potassium, such as salt substitutes or supplements.
• A disorder called “Addisons disease”, which can occur if your body does not make enough of certain hormones. Hormones are chemicals produced by different glands and organs, including the kidneys, to trigger certain responses in your body.
• Burns or other severe injuries. This occurs because your body, in response to severe burns or injuries releases extra potassium in your blood.
• Poorly controlled diabetes : When diabetes is not controlled, it has a direct effect on your kidneys which are responsible for balancing potassium in your body.

Symptoms

Many people have few, if any, symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they are usually mild and non-specific. You may feel some muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, nausea, or other unusual feelings. It usually develops slowly over many weeks or months and is often mild. It can recur. If hyperkalemia comes on suddenly and you have very high levels of potassium, you may feel heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, or vomiting. Sudden or severe hyperkalemia is a life-threatening condition. It requires immediate medical care

Home remedies

• Reduce the amount of foods you eat that are high in potassium. According to foodshighinpotassium.com, foods such as apples, milk, potatoes, spinach, bananas, fish and carrots are high in potassium. Change your diet by substituting foods that are low in potassium like grapes, mandarin oranges, blueberries and green beans.
• Another natural treatment for hyperkalemia is the reduction of salt substitutes and potassium supplements. If you are taking potassium supplements and have high potassium levels, cease the supplementation. According to The Cleveland Clinic, salt substitutes can be dangerous to your health if you have high potassium levels because they replace sodium chloride with potassium chloride. Stop using salt substitutes and replace them with other herbs and spices.
• Use herbs to treat hyperkalemia under the supervision of a health care professional. Take 150 mg. of licorice per day to help bring down potassium levels. Do not take licorice if you have high blood pressure or heart problems. Avoid alfalfa, nettle, dandelion and horsetail. Each one can boost potassium levels, making the condition worse.
• Treat your kidneys because kidney failure is the leading cause of high potassium levels. Swedish massage and acupuncture are natural treatments that are known to stimulate proper kidney function. If kidney disease is causing a spike in potassium levels, marshmallow tea and cranberry may help cleanse the kidneys and kill unwanted bacteria.
• Drink plenty of water and exercise. If you become dehydrated, high potassium levels can rise. Exercising may be a natural treatment of hyperkalemia. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, you should exercise 30 minutes each day, 5 days per week to lower potassium levels.
• When hyperkalemia results from too much acidity in the blood, called acidosis, baking soda can be prescribed. Bicarbonate of soda is commonly called baking soda because it is used as a leavening agent. However, baking soda, bicarbonate of soda, occurs naturally in all living things and helps organisms maintain the proper pH balance. When disease or disorder prevents the kidneys from removing excess potassium from the blood, the body's production of bicarbonate of soda can be insufficient to buffer the blood's acidity, resulting in acidosis.

Medical Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be substituted for medical advice. Always consult a medical professional regarding any medical problems and before undertaking any treatment or dietary changes.