Potassium plays a vital role in your body's ability to function properly. While you typically get enough potassium from your diet, some people can develop a potassium imbalance. Vertigo is not typically associated with potassium imbalances, though you may experience dizziness in some potassium deficiency situations. Talk to a medical professional if you experience vertigo or if you need medical advice about potassium.
Potassium
Potassium is a naturally occurring mineral and one that is key to your health. Your body uses potassium, along with sodium, every day at the cellular level to maintain a proper fluid balance between the inside and outside of each cell, according to Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute. Without a properly maintained sodium and potassium balance in your cells, the body would not be able to control nerve impulses, muscle contractions or heart functions.
Vertigo
Dizziness, along with chest pain and fatigue, is one of the most common reasons people visit their doctors, according to MayoClinic.com. Vertigo is a sense of dizziness that is also accompanied by a sense of spinning or falling. While you can experience vertigo simply by making a change in your head position, it can also be caused by more serious medical conditions, such as inner ear infections or Meniere's disease, a condition in which excessive fluid builds up in the inner ear.
Hypokalemia
If you don't get enough potassium in your diet, you can develop a medical condition known as hypokalemia. This metabolic disorder develops when the potassium level in your blood is too low and can lead to symptoms such as abnormal heart rhythms, constipation, fatigue and muscle weakness, according to Medline Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. While vertigo is not generally associated with hypokalemia, dehydration can lead to the condition, and people with dehydration may also experience vertigo.
Hyperkalemia
The opposite of not having enough potassium in your system is having too much, a condition known as hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia typically occurs as a result of other medical conditions, including kidney failure, Addison's disease and type 1 diabetes, but can also result from excessive use of potassium dietary supplements, according to MayoClinic.com. Hyperkalemia symptoms include nausea, irregular heartbeat and a slow or weak pulse, but vertigo is not generally associated with the condition.
Member Comments