Potassium is a mineral your body relies on for maintenance of normal function in all of your organs, tissues and cells. It plays an especially important role in the function of your heart and other types of muscles. A potassium deficiency, known as hypokalemia, has several important consequences. However, it does not appear to affect hair.
Basics
Potassium belongs to a group of substances called electrolytes. As their name implies, these substances carry an electrical charge; this allows them to relay important signals between the interiors and the exteriors of your cells. Other electrolytes in your body include sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride. Potassium, in particular, helps your body control the actions of both voluntary and involuntary muscles, as well as the conduction of signals through your nervous system. Dietary sources of this mineral include potatoes, various forms of citrus juice, bananas, cantaloupes, chicken, cod, lima beans and avocados. Supplemental forms include potassium chloride, potassium citrate, potassium bicarbonate and potassium acetate.
Understanding Hypokalemia
In the vast majority of cases, hypokalemia develops when you lose abnormally high amounts of potassium in your feces or urine, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. On rare occasions, people also develop the disorder when their dietary intake of the mineral falls too low. Potential underlying causes of hypokalemia include bulimia and other eating disorders, diarrhea, overuse of laxatives, use of certain diuretics or antibiotics, vomiting, sweating and the presence of Cushing syndrome or other disorders that reduce the kidneys' normal ability to filter and retain potassium before it enters your urine.
Deficiency Symptoms
People with minor potassium deficiencies typically don't have any symptoms or health problems, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus reports. However, if you have a significant potassium deficiency, you can experience symptoms that include constipation, fatigue, stomach upset, muscle weakness, muscle spasms and the muscle wasting disorder called rhabdomyolysis. If you develop severe hypokalemia, additional potentially fatal symptoms can include changes in your normal heart rhythm and a form of paralysis that affects your skeletal muscles, intestinal muscles and/or lungs.
Considerations
People with milder cases of hypokalemia typically improve after taking oral doses of supplemental potassium, MedlinePlus notes. However, people with more severe forms of the disorder may require intravenous doses of potassium to correct their levels of the mineral. One particular form of hypokalemia associated with paralysis occurs when the blood levels of thyroid hormones rise too high. If you have this form of the disorder, correction of this thyroid imbalance will usually restore your potassium levels. Consult your doctor for more information on the symptoms and treatments associated with potassium deficiencies.
Member Comments