Electrolytes help the body maintain fluid balance within the cells, around the cells and in the blood. Fluid balance keeps the body functioning normally, controlling muscle action and blood acid levels, according to Medline Plus. The major minerals that are involved in this process are sodium, potassium and chloride. Electrolyte imbalances can occur when an individual is dehydrated or taking certain drugs or if he suffers from a heart, kidney or liver disorder.
Potassium, designated by the letter K on the periodic table because its Latin name is kalium, does not thicken your blood. Vitamin K, a vitamin, not a mineral, and a completely different substance from potassium, increases your...
Potassium is a mineral that carries a positive charge in the body. It is vital for the transmission of electrical impulses by cells. All cells in the body carry an electrical voltage, but some are more active and utilize electr...
Having the wrong levels of some electrolytes can cause the muscles in your feet to not work properly, causing foot cramps. Your doctor can order blood tests that will determine if your foot cramping is due to electrolyte imbala...
According to the National Institutes of Health, many food sources contain potassium including meats, fish, fruits and vegetables. Because of this, low potassium levels, or hypokalemia, are uncommon due to dietary conditions. Lo...
Potassium flows through the blood as an electrically charged mineral. It is important for electrical transmission in the cells of various organs, including the heart. Imbalances can, therefore, cause problems for the heart. Sin...
Most of the potassium in your body is contained inside your cells, with only a small amount, or 3.6 to 4.8 mEq/L, circulating through your blood. Excessive levels of potassium in the blood, a condition referred to as hyperkalem...
Players were offered a sugary beverage to replace fluids lost on the field. It's important to distinguish this marketing hype from science--especially for those patients who already have elevated levels of potassium in their bl...
Although a potassium imbalance usually involves a deficiency in your bloodstream, it is possible to experience excessive amounts that may lead to serious health problems. Always discuss vitamin and mineral supplementation with ...
Excessive potassium in the blood can be life-threatening unless promptly treated. According to MedlinePlus, potassium regulates muscle function, digestion, metabolism and chemical balance throughout the body. Potassium that is ...
Common outcomes of alcoholism include brain cell damage, memory loss, depression and liver disease. Another complication of alcoholism is rhabdomyolysis, a condition associated with a high serum potassium level.
In addition, potassium aids in tissue function, allowing for muscle contraction and the transmission of nerve signals. Very high or very low levels of potassium in your bloodstream pose a risk to your health.
Although all these diseases are very different, the symptoms of renal failure are the same. High potassium levels are one of the more dangerous symptoms of renal disease. Unlike nausea, headache, fatigue and other symptoms that...
Potassium is a mineral essential to metabolic function and the health of all organs, tissues and cells. Normal levels of blood potassium depend on age, and pregnant or lactating women require moderately higher amounts in the bl...
Hyperkalemia is the medical term for high levels of potassium in the blood. Potassium is one of the electrolytes your body uses to maintain the normal functions of its chemical and electrical processes. Potassium is found in th...
Some of your body's electrolytes include sodium, chloride, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Sodium and chloride levels are most affected by exercise, especially if your sweat rate increases. When concentrations of these electr...
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.
Hyperkalemia is a condition in which the body's level of potassium increases to unhealthy levels. Potassium is an electrolyte, an electrically charged molecule, important in many of the body's processes including muscle movemen...
Proper blood potassium levels allow your body to to balance your electrolytes. This helps your body's blood chemistry, muscle action and other important processes related to potassium. To maintain healthy levels in your blood, ...
Electrolytes, including sodium, chloride, bicarbonate and potassium, are responsible for removing wastes from your cells and maintaining fluid and pH balance. Most of your potassium is found inside your cells, but there is alwa...
Potassium is also an electrolyte, which means that it helps to carry an electrical charge throughout your body. Furthermore, electrolytes influence the water volume in the body, the level of acidity and alkalinity of the blood,...
Furthermore, as an electrolyte, potassium is crucial in the production of nerve impulses and the contraction of muscles, the American Heart Association explains. However, high levels of potassium in the blood, a condition calle...
Most potassium is found within the cells. The small amount of potassium in the bloodstream is important in muscle contraction, the transmission of nervous signals from the brain, and the maintenance of a stable heart rhythm. Th...
Potassium is a mineral and an electrolyte that is essential for proper functioning of your body. Optimal potassium levels are important for your health, and changes in your blood potassium concentrations can lead to several hea...
Hyperkalemia is a life-threatening condition characterized by high levels of potassium in the blood. Potassium is an essential mineral that regulates muscle and nerve function in the body. It is critical for maintaining heart f...
Nephrology is the medical specialty devoted to diseases of the kidneys. In addition to filtering blood and removing waste products created by muscular activity, the kidneys also keep levels of potassium, phosphorus, calcium and...
However, it is possible for you to have too much potassium in your bloodstream. Your medical provider may diagnose you with hyperkalemia -- a condition characterized by high potassium levels -- if your blood levels of this mine...
High levels of potassium make these cells in the heart, muscle and brain less excitable and eventually unresponsive. Hyperkalemia may be caused by an increase in the amount of potassium absorbed by the body or by inability of t...
Blood potassium levels of 3.6 to 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L, are necessary for proper functioning of nerves and muscles. However, when blood levels of potassium rise higher than normal, into the range of 6.0 mEq/L...
Potassium can be depleted in the body by diarrhea and vomiting or excessive sweating. Kidney disease and some prescription drugs, such as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, are also known to lower potassium blood levels. Potassi...
Very high or very low blood pressure is dangerous and can lead to organ damage or death. Blood pressure is regulated by many factors such as hormones, chemicals of the immune system, signals from nerves, and the force and rate ...
Urea and electrolytes are both found in the urine. Urea excretion is part of the body's' waste management system while electrolyte excretion is how the body regulates various chemical levels in the blood. The amount of both sub...
Healthy adults typically have a blood potassium levels between 3.6 and 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L. If the amount of potassium in your blood exceeds 6.0 mEq/L, your doctor may diagnose you with a condition called h...
Homeostasis is the body's ability to adjust and maintain normal functioning despite constant changes in blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, electrolytes, hormones, and countless other frequently changing physiological dyna...
Potassium also helps maintain fluid balance and the pH of your blood. Over 95 percent of the potassium in your body is inside your cells. The remaining 5 percent is distributed throughout the fluids in your body, including your...
A diaic diet is a nutrition plan for people receiving kidney dialysis. The diet helps control the levels of phosphorous, sodium and potassium in the blood between dialysis treatments. A proper diaic diet depends on a number of ...
Potassium works in conjunction with other electrolytes, like sodium and chloride, to balance your body fluids, stimulate muscle contraction and maintain the acid-base balance in your body. The cells contain the majority of your...
The level of electrolytes in your body is affected by many different factors. For example, pronounced changes in the levels of potassium or sodium in your body can cause an imbalance of electrolytes, according to MedLine Plus.
Potassium is used by the body's nervous system for communicating nerve signals throughout the body. In addition, potassium is used to maintain electrolyte balance between the body's cells, states MedlinePlus. Although necessary...
Sodium and potassium are electrolytes, or minerals with an electric charge. The cells in the body have to keep a balance between the number of electrolytes with a negative charge and the number of electrolytes with a positive c...
Potassium also acts as an electrolyte, allowing your heart and muscles to function properly. With the help of the hormone aldosterone, your kidneys maintain the proper blood balance of potassium. But a potentially serious and l...
It is stored within the cells of the body, with a small amount left circulating in the blood. A potassium test measures the level of potassium found in the bloodstream. When a low or high potassium blood level is discovered, th...
Electrolytes can change when the level of water in the body changes. Sodium and potassium levels may be tested individually or as part of an electrolyte panel, which would also include chloride and bicarbonate. The test is perf...
Along with sodium, magnesium and calcium, potassium is an electrolyte, a type of mineral that carries electric charges through your body as it regulates fluid balances and organ function. High potassium readings in your blood a...
Potassium is especially important in cardiac function. MayoClinic.com explains that normal serum potassium levels range between 3.6 and 4.8 mEq/L. A high level of potassium in the blood is often indicative of an underlying kidn...
Potassium can also pose serious health risks if it is present in the bloodstream in too-high amounts, a condition called hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia can be difficult to recognize based on symptoms alone, but there are some relat...
Hyperkalemia is the medical term for high levels of potassium in the bloodstream. Potassium is an electrolyte, or salt, necessary for the adequate function of muscles and nerves in the body. Other electrolytes include sodium, c...
By doing this, potassium helps to maintain balance in your body and helps to regulate muscle and digestive functions. Without the right levels of potassium, some of your body's processes may not function as well.
High levels of potassium in the body reflect a condition called hyperkalemia. According to the "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," potassium is a crucial electrolyte in resting membrane potential. In hyperkalemic stat...
Your body requires a certain level of potassium in order to keep the heart beating and muscles and cells functioning. Too much potassium in the blood can cause negative body reactions---including irregular heartbeat, stomach up...
Potassium is a vital part of cell function and helps the cells, particularly the heart, muscles, and nerves to conduct electrical currents. However, as with most substances, there can be too much of a good thing. Mechanisms exi...
Most of the body's potassium is found in the organs and cells; only a small amount circulates in the bloodstream. Potassium is essential for maintaining nerve and muscle cell function, especially the heart. The kidneys are prim...
A potassium level higher than 6.0 mEq/L can be dangerous and requires immediate treatment. The causes of high potassium levels, or hyperkalemia, include kidney problems that reduce the amount of potassium excreted by the body, ...
Diamox is the brand name for the generic drug acetazolamide. This medication is used to treat patients with glaucoma, a type of eye disease. Diamox can also be used to limit and control symptoms associated with altitude sicknes...
Hyperkalemia means high blood potassium. Potassium plays a crucial role in the electrical function of cells, particularly the transmission of currents in the heart. The inside of cells have high levels of potassium relative to ...
Hyperkalemia is a condition in which an excessive level of potassium is present in the blood. A high potassium level is often found in patients with compromised kidneys. It can also occur due to medication, injury, uncontrolled...
The urinary and excretory systems remove waste from the body. Several organs are involved in these processes, including the liver, kidney, bladder, skin and lungs. Disorders of these organs can lead to dysfunction of excretion.
High potassium, also known as hyperkalemia, occurs when the kidneys fail to excrete enough excess potassium from the body. Hyperkalemia may cause potentially dangerous arrhythmias. Many conditions may lead to an increase in blo...
The Mayo Clinic notes that water is lost daily through differing means, such as perspiration, bowels and breathing. Electrolytes are essential minerals in the body containing an electric charge. The electrolytes keep blood chem...
You have electrolytes in your blood and other body fluids. Your body needs these minerals, which carry an electric charge, because they affect the amount of water in your body, your blood acidity and important bodily processes,...
The kidneys maintain potassium levels, and when working normally, they excrete the excess. Hyperkalemia describes a condition in which the blood contains higher-than-normal levels of potassium, usually from a disorder affecting...
A normal blood level of potassium ranges from 3.6 to 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, according to the Mayo Clinic. Any level higher than 4.8 is too high and levels over 6.0 signify a need for emergency medical attention. A high...
Severe hyperkalemia usually occurs when kidneys are damaged and can't remove enough potassium from the bloodstream, but certain medications can also contribute to high potassium. Hyperkalemia is defined as a serum potassium lev...
Increased potassium levels in the blood (hyperkalemia) can be caused by decreased elimination of potassium (usually due to kidney disorders) or from increased production of potassium (due to tumors or cell damage in the body). ...
Potassium is present in foods such as bananas, lima beans, avocado, spinach and papaya/ Consuming at at least 3,500mg per day is sufficient for good health, according to Medline Plus. However, other substances and minerals may ...
It is used in the building of muscles, growth and development, transmission of nerve impulses, regulating heart activity and blood pressure levels. The body normally regulates potassium levels within a small range. Increas
Potassium is an electrolyte that plays a role in digestion, muscle growth and overall metabolism. Higher-than-normal levels of blood potassium can be a sign of kidney disease or a breakdown of the muscle tissue called rhabdomyo...
Hyperkalemia is the medical term for high levels of potassium in the blood. While mild hyperkalemia may not cause any symptoms or long-lasting problems, severe hyperkalemia can be life-threatening. Learning about high levels ...
