Potassium is nutrient mineral in your diet that you need for purposes that include maintenance of your body’s normal fluid balance. People who have abnormally low levels of potassium in their bloodstreams can develop a condition called hypokalemia. Hypokalemia produces a variety of symptoms, but will not typically produce dark circles under your eyes.
Low Potassium Basics
The National Center for Biotechnology Information’s PubMed Health lists potential causes of hypokalemia; they include use of diuretic medications, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, use of antibiotic medications, bulimia or other eating disorders and the presence of any disease that alters your kidneys’ ability to filter out potassium and return it to your bloodstream. You can also develop hypokalemia if you eat licorice or any licorice-containing products that have an ingredient called glycyrrhetinic acid. Glycyrrhetinic acid is banned from licorice made in the United States.
Low Potassium Effects
Normal blood values for potassium vary between 3.5 and 5.5 mEq/L. People who have potassium levels slightly below this norm don’t typically experience any related health problems, according the "Merck Manual for Health Care Professionals." People with more significant potassium deficits can experience symptoms that include muscle spasms or weakness, muscle paralysis, lung paralysis or failure, constipation, fatigue, heart rhythm abnormalities and a form of muscle tissue damage known as rhabdomyolysis. People who have hypokalemia that lingers for extended periods of time can also develop an impairment in kidney function that leads to urinary conditions called polyuria and secondary polydipsia.
Under-Eye Circle Causes
According to Mayo Clinic, potential causes of dark circles under the eyes include lack of sleep, fatigue, smoking, emotional or physical stress, habitual alcohol use, nasal congestion, allergies, genetic predisposition and a skin rash called atopic dermatitis or eczema. You can also develop dark under-eye circles if you rub or scratch your eyes, have irregularities in your skin coloring, get significant amounts of sun exposure or have age-related skin thinning, and fat and tissue loss, which can make the blood vessels under your eyes more prominent.
Considerations
In some cases, Mayo Clinic notes, shadows cast by puffy eyelids — as well as age-related hollows under the eyes — can mimic the appearance of dark under-eye circles. Skin coloring irregularities associated with under-eye circles most commonly occur in people of African-American and Asian-American descent. If you have unexplained dark circles under your eyes, consult your doctor for more information and a proper diagnosis of your condition. Also, consult your doctor for more information on the potential consequences of low blood potassium.
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