A low potassium level, known as hypokalemia, can happen when the potassium level in your blood is lower that normal. Your body needs potassium to function. Your heart and your other body systems can be severely affected by a change in your potassium level. A low potassium level could have symptoms such as muscle and joint pain. Knee pain alone should not be considered a symptom of low potassium.
Knee Pain and Low Potassium
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that potassium helps skeletal and smooth muscles to contract. It is necessary for the digestion of food and for muscles to function properly. Knee, or other joint pain, and muscle weakness can be related to having a low potassium level. However, it is unlikely that having pain in one joint, such as the knee, is related to a low potassium level. There may be other causes of knee pain. There may have been an injury to the knee or tendonitis on the anterior part of the knee. Arthritis may have developed in the knee.
Importance of Potassium
The National Institutes of Health states that your body needs potassium for your nerves and muscles to work together. Potassium helps to transfer nutrients and wastes in and out of your body cells. Your heart is especially sensitive to changes in potassium levels. The Mayo Clinic states that a normal potassium level should be 3.6 to 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, or meq/l.
Symptoms and Causes of Low Potassium
Symptoms of low potassium are a change in the rhythm of the heart, weakness, muscle cramping, feeling fatigued and constipation. Your physician can do a blood test to check your potassium. In most cases, a physician will do a blood test because you may be ill already or have some of these symptoms. The Mayo Clinic states there can be numerous reasons for a low potassium level. Certain medications, such as diuretics or water pills, can cause too much potassium to be excreted in the urine. If you are having vomiting and diarrhea, your potassium level will be affected. Eating disorders and kidney failure can also lower your potassium level.
Treating a Low Potassium Level
The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine at Penn State offers various ways to treat low potassium in the body. You can eat more potassium-rich foods in your diet. These include bananas, oranges, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables and potatoes. It is also beneficial to replace the potassium in your body by drinking fluids. If you have been exercising or having vomiting and diarrhea, potassium can be depleted from your cells. Your physician may prescribe a potassium supplement or may change a medication you are taking to increase your potassium level. If taking a prescribed potassium supplement, you will need to have blood work done periodically to monitor your potassium.
Considerations of Low Potassium
While having weakness, muscle cramps, and joint pain can be symptomatic of a change in the potassium level in your body, these symptoms alone should not be reason to believe you have low potassium. If you are concerned, you should see your physician. You should never begin taking a potassium supplement unless under the supervision of your physician or health care provider.
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