Potassium is an essential element in the human body. Potassium controls the function of your muscle and nerve cells, explains MayoClinic.com. When levels of low potassium occur, your body is immediately affected. One sign of low potassium is hand tremors. If you have been diagnosed with low potassium or hypokalemia, prompt treatment should be instituted to assure levels are brought back into the normal range.
Potassium
Your body relies on a stable amount of potassium in order to support your tissues and muscles, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Potassium is an electrolyte and helps make your electricity flow properly throughout your body. Electrolytes make sure your muscles contract in unison and are able to support organs such as your heart and kidneys. The average potassium level in the body should be between 3.7 to 5.2 mEq/L. If levels are too low or too high, internal organs and muscle function are affected. If your potassium levels are too low you may begin to experience muscle spasms and tremors – especially in your hands.
Symptoms
If you notice a small twitching in your hand that continues for more than a few hours or days, you should seek medical attention. Over time, low potassium levels lead to tremors in your hands. These tremors are involuntary and caused by a drop of electrolytes that cause the muscle in the body to not work properly. You may also experience cardiac arrhythmias, a fast or irregular heartbeat, tiredness, muscle fatigue, muscle spasms, constipation and in some cases paralysis.
Causes
Potassium levels generally drop after the body has been depleted of electrolytes. This can be caused from losing vital fluids through vomiting, sweat and diarrhea. Certain diseases may also affect potassium levels such as Liddle syndrome and Cushing syndrome. Eating disorders that cause you to lose potassium through lack of nutrient intake or vomiting can also lead to low potassium levels. As the muscles begin to weaken over time, shaking and mild tremors can occur involuntarily.
Treatment
Treating your tremors means treating the hypokalemia. If levels are dangerously low, your doctor may admit you to the hospital for intravenous treatment of potassium intake where you can be further evaluated to rule out damage to your heart and muscles. If there is no underlying medical cause, needing further treatment your doctor may prescribe an oral potassium supplement pill and follow up with a blood test in 72 hours to make sure potassium levels rise to the normal range. Once potassium is normal, your tremors should subside.
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