Potassium is a significant mineral your body needs to regulate functions of the muscles, nerves, kidneys, heart and digestive system. Generally, most of the potassium in your body is within your organs and cells, while a small percentage circulates in your blood. You are at risk of serious health problems if your blood potassium level creeps too high.
Signs and Symptoms
In some cases, you may not experience symptoms if you have a high blood potassium level. However, signs and symptoms that can occur include irregular heartbeat, fatigue, trouble breathing, vomiting and nausea, paralysis and unusual sensations such as tingling and numbness. Some serious signs and symptoms that require emergency medical care include weak heartbeat, nausea, breathing pattern changes and loss of consciousness.
Common Causes
Typically, the kidneys remove excess levels of potassium from your body. Most causes of high blood potassium are disorders that impede your the ability of your kidneys to rid your body of potassium. Disorders commonly linked to high potassium levels are kidney failure and rejection of a kidney transplant. Other potential causes of high blood potassium levels include increased levels of acid in the blood, which can happen if you have diabetes; adrenal insufficiency, intake of medications such as beta-blockers, a high-potassium diet, over-supplementation of potassium, and physical trauma such as burns and crush injuries.
Testing and Diagnosis
Your doctor may discover that you have high blood potassium if he orders blood tests to monitor certain medications you're taking or to diagnose a health condition such as kidney failure or increased blood acid levels. He may also check your potassium levels if you exhibit signs of high blood pressure or other heart problems, since potassium fluctuations can significantly affect your heart muscle. High blood potassium is rarely discovered by chance. A healthy blood potassium range is usually somewhere between 3.6 and 4.8 mEq/L; a level over 6.0 mEq/L is considered high and needs medical treatment.
Treatment
Your doctor will discuss your test results and treatment options with you. The course of treatment may involve changing a medication that's increasing your blood potassium level or treating an underlying health condition that's causing your high potassium level. She may also prescribe a medication to keep your heart function stable, to move the potassium in your blood back into the cells of your body or to encourage your body to excrete excess potassium. In some cases, you may require dialysis, a treatment that filters excess levels out of your body.
