Potassium is a vital nutrient and electrolyte your body needs to maintain a variety of functions, such as muscle contraction. Typically, people maintain healthy blood levels of potassium by eating foods rich in this nutrient, including bananas, salmon, chicken and potatoes. If you have questions about how to keep your potassium levels in check, consult your primary medical provider.
Healthy Potassium Levels
Normally, your blood potassium level ranges between 3.6 to 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L. Maintaining a normal blood potassium level by getting enough of this nutrient as part of your daily diet can help keep your bones healthy and may even reduce your risk of having a stroke. If you struggle to get enough potassium-rich food into your diet every day, talk to your doctor about incorporating a potassium supplement into your daily health regimen.
Low Potassium Levels
If your potassium levels are persistently lower than 2.5 mEq/L, you may have a condition called hypokalemia. Hypokalemia may occur for a variety of reasons, including chronic diarrhea or vomiting, excessive sweating, antibiotic or diuretic use, kidney disease or eating disorders. When your blood levels of potassium are abnormally low, you may experience heart rate irregularities, fatigue, constipation, muscle spasms or weakness. In severe cases of hypokalemia, temporary paralysis may occur and can significantly limit your ability to move about normally without assistance. Treatment for hypokalemia typically involves the use of oral potassium supplements. Severe cases of hypokalemia may require intravenous administration of potassium to help boost blood levels of this nutrient.
High Potassium Levels
High potassium levels, a medical condition called hyperkalemia, occur when your blood levels of this nutrient exceed 6.0 mEq/L. The most common cause of hyperkalemia is kidney failure, though this condition may also occur due to Addison's disease, type 1 diabetes, alcoholism, severe burns or injury, overuse of potassium supplements or use of ACE inhibitors. Persistently high potassium levels may cause symptoms that mimic hypokalemia, such as fatigue, weakness, heart rate changes and paralysis. However, people with hyperkalemia may only experience mild nausea or may not exhibit any symptoms at all. Depending upon the severity of your condition, your doctor may reduce your potassium levels using medication, such as diuretics, calcium, sodium bicarbonate or glucose and insulin. Additionally, your doctor may recommend dialysis treatment to flush extra potassium out of your body. Hyperkalemia treatment must be performed by a medical professional because this type of treatment increases your risk of experiencing cardiac arrest--a life-threatening condition in which your heart stops beating.
Recommended Daily Intake
During the first six months of life, infants should get 400mg of potassium each day, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies reports. The recommended daily intake of potassium increases slightly to 700mg daily until a baby's first birthday. Toddlers under the age of 4 only need 3g of potassium, while young children ages 4 to 8 should get 3.8g of potassium on a daily basis. As children reach puberty, their nutritional needs are greater. Preteens up to age 14 need 4.5g of potassium daily. During adolescence, adulthood and pregnancy, people should get a daily dose of 4.7g of potassium. Lactation places additional stress on a mother's body, which necessitates an increase in her potassium consumption. In fact, breastfeeding mothers should get 5.1g of potassium every day. Excellent sources of potassium include fruits and vegetables, nuts, meat, dairy products and nutritional supplements.
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