Potassium is essential for every cell in the body. Approximately 98 percent of potassium exists within the cells and organs, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, with only 2 percent circulating in the bloodstream. Your body needs potassium for nerve and muscle function, digestion and cardiac function. Elevated levels of potassium, or hyperkalemia, can often signify an underlying condition and, if left untreated, can be fatal.
Hyperkalemia
Your body should maintain a normal blood potassium level between 3.6 and 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, according to the Mayo Clinic. Levels slightly above 4.8 mEq/L can indicate a minor elevation due to infection. Potassium levels of 6.0 mEq/L or greater can lead to dangerous complications such as arrhythmias, cardiac arrest and death. There are two reasons a person may develop elevated potassium levels; an increase of potassium intake or a failure of the kidneys to remove potassium from the body. Because hyperkalemia often presents with no symptoms, some patients find out only when a physician discovers it in a blood test or he notices changes in the heart rhythm during an electrocardiogram.
Symptoms
A person with an elevated potassium level may not have symptoms or may mistake symptoms for something else such as exhaustion from normal everyday stress. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that hyperkalemia can cause irregular heartbeat, weakness, fatigue, tingling, numbness or a feeling of pins and needles, and nausea and vomiting. In extreme cases, people may experience difficulty breathing and paralysis.
Adverse Affect to Medications
A person may experience elevated potassium levels due to certain medications. Medications that interfere with kidney function such as potassium sparing diuretics such as triamterene, amiloride and spirinolactone are most commonly associated with elevated potassium levels. Potassium supplements can also lead to hyperkalemia, especially if given intravenously, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Kidney Dysfunction
The kidneys filter excess potassium from the body through urine. The National Institutes of Health explains that if the kidneys are damaged it can affect their ability to proper remove wastes such as potassium from the body. Acute or chronic kidney failure can cause hyperkalemia as can a kidney infection. In some cases, an obstruction in the tube that leads from the kidneys to the bladder can cause excess potassium to build up in the bloodstream.
Injury
Any time the body releases potassium from the cells, it can build up in the bloodstream. Trauma or tissue injury can cause potassium to move from inside the cells to outside the cells. Injuries such as burns, surgery or trauma can all lead to elevated potassium levels. Bleeding in the intestinal tract can also push fluid from the cells into the bloodstream, raising potassium levels, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Hemolytic disorders, or disorders that cause blood cells to burst, can cause hyperkalemia as can a condition known as rhabdomyolysis where a breakdown of muscle fibers leaks muscle contents known as myoglobin into the bloodstream where it can harm the kidneys. Rhabdomyolysis occurs due to drugs, alcoholism, infection or coma.
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